The Demon Master's Puppet
by Prettywitchiusaka
Summary: Grandfather has returned. And this time, his target is Rachel, whom he wants to turn into his catalyst to use in order to become evil king of the world once more. Rachel is determined to defeat his control over her, but just how long can she last? 60/362
1. Chapter 1

Hello everyone, and welcome to my recently completed chaptered story. As much as I enjoyed writing this one, I actually had a lot of problems dialouge wise. In the end, I'm happy with teh product despite some minor set-backs. But as per usual, I'm leaving it up to you my audience to determine just how good or bad my recent work is. Before you do though, there are a few things you must take into consideration before reading this story.

1. Grandfather has returned at least twice by the time this story takes place (through some deu sex machina).

2. Alex/Numbuh 273 (my fan character) shares a dark connection with GF, one that was recently discovered in ZERO. Part of this dark connection is that all of Alex's bad traits are GF's bad traits (such as arrogance, and a dictorial style of leadership). Anotehr part of this dark connection is that Alex shares a telepathic connection with GF, which gives her teh ability to sense his presence when close-by.

3. Alex i spart mutant; her main power is telekinisis (which she can also manipulate into energy to form attacks). Her other powers include premonition, sensing people's auras, and projecting forcefields.

Well, othre than that, read, review and enjoy!

The Demon Master's Puppet

Story by Prettywitchiusaka  
Artwork by Prettywitchiusaka  
Creative Consultants; Synaptic Firefly, Romanist Cavemen, C7Angel, and LupinQueen13

Chapter 1: Unfriendly Meeting of Two Acquaintances

Tranquillity; it is the idealistic vision of one individuals concept of peace. A place where one can achieve escapism, and release themselves from the stress of daily life. A place that aspires happiness, and always brings peace to form a sound soul in both body and mind. Such form of peace has now reached out to young Kids next Door Supreme Leader Rachel McKenzie, or Numbuh 362 as she slept in peaceful slumber. Despite this peaceful state, her subconscious lay in her vast dream realm, surrounded by the inanimate objects that made her feel happiest. Among these objects were a magnificent flower field filled with various kinds of flowers, surrounded by lush, green grass. And the sky was as blue as it could be , what with the various soft fluffy clouds that passed through it every now and then. Happy and content, the young blonde continued to lay in in the idealistic flower field, her eyes closed as she felt her mind and body at peace. She had no deadlines, no missions, and certainly no unimportant tasks to attend to, it was her time for peace and relaxation.

"You call this tranquillity", asked a booming yet arrogant sounding voice that startled Rachel out of her peaceful state of mind. Now sitting up, the young girl began to look around for where the voice came from. Sure enough though, she became surprised to find that the voice belonged to none other than the terrible black demon himself; that tall, lanky, black bearded, golden yellow eyed man only referred to as-

"Grandfather", she shouted in a surprised tone as she stared at the cross-armed man, unsure as to why he was even here.

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance once more...Miss Supreme Leader" he politely replied, all the while looking arrogantly at her as he said the words "Miss Supreme Leader" in a mocking tone.

"You could have picked a better location for our meeting though, but I guess I shouldn't expect much else. After all...you may be more mature than most of the brats in your organization, but your mind is still too naive and feeble to really understand tranquillity", the satanic demon replied in an arrogant tone, one that angered Rachel ever so slightly as she opened her mouth to speak.

"I'll ignore that", she replied in a stern tone. "But I must ask; Why are you here in my dreams? How did you even get into my dreams?"

"Oh, come now. You treat me even worse than my grandson", he replied in a hurt tone which reeked of fake. "Can't I just pop into an old enemy's dream from time to time?"

"Only if you had a purpose", she sternly replied, causing him to chuckle evilly.

"You know me too well", the black bearded demon replied as he began to look down at the ground below his non-existent feet. Picking up a tiny Lily with his old hand, he began to keenly observe the little flower.

"So...you have passions outside of that childish organization" Grandfather keenly observed as he fiddled around with the small flower in his hand, his words catching Rachel's full attention as he did.

"You know, for someone as intelligent as yourself, your hobbies aren't very unique. Although you are still a child, I guess it would only be natural that your interests are as common and feeble as your way of thinking", he mockingly retorted as he began to laugh in amusement, causing the young blonde to fume up with anger.

"Well at least my obsessions are normal", Rachel replied, anger clear in her voice as she did. As she said those words however, Grandfather could not help but cringe at her insult, only for his cringing to turn into erupting anger.

"Why you little...", the satanic demon began as his temper continued to rise. Upon realizing though that he would probably need his strength soon enough, he managed to repress his anger, returning to his sophisticated yet evil and arrogant composure.

"Very well. Now as shocking as this may sound, I didn't come here to merely taunt you", he replied.

"Oh, really? And why did you come here", the young girl sternly asked her enemy.

"I've come to enact my new Grand master Plan of course", he replied.

"New Grand Master Plan", Rachel asked as she cocked her head in confusion.

"Yes...", he replied. "You see my dear, it gets quite boring staying in one place for so long. So I began devising new plans for complete Domination of your planet. But since twice my plans for a large scale invasion have been thwarted, I figured that getting someone else to do my dirty work for me would be much more fun and interesting."

"All I needed now was to find a catalyst", he replied in a very sinister tone, one which caused the young blonde to understand who he was referring to.

"So after an extensive look at my candidates, and the use of one of my many powers, I decided that you my dear shall be my catalyst...", the satanic demon explained in a rather evil tone , setting the Lily aflame in his hand as he did.

With an evil grin now plastered onto his old face, he proceeded to drop the Lily and let it fall to the ground. Upon colliding with the ground, it set the rest of the field aflame, a flame that moved with lightning speed. Although shocked and surprised by this sight, the young blonde quickly jumped out of the flower field and landed onto the grass, a look of pure stern and assertive composure now clear on her face as she did.

"That's never going to happen...Not for as long as I live", she angrily replied.

"You shouldn't say things like that my dear. If I can conform you once, who's to say I can't do it a second time" her opponent replied in a tone of arrogance and delight.

And with those words, the old man flew towards his opponent as if he were lightning. Preparing for her opponent to make his move, the young girl leaped into the air and sent a roundhouse kick towards her opponent's face. Unfortunately for her, Grandfather was quick to dodge. Although surprised by this, she tried the same attack, only to gain the same result.

"His speed...it really is impressive...Just like how Patton and Nigel both described it to me", Rachel quietly thought to herself as she stared in awe and wonderment at her opponent's speed and flexibility.

Unfortunately, her moment of admiration was cut short as the satanic demon quickly flew in to give her a quick punch. Now aware of what his next move would be, Rachel stopped his on-coming punch with her hand, causing the two to engage in a fist-fight. She attempted to attack her opponent with a furry of punches and kicks as she defended from his offensive moves, unfortunately for her though, the black man used his speedy defensive moves to block her offensive moves. Now with a cocky grin on his face, Grandfather proceeded to send his own furry of punches towards his opponent. Unexpectedly though, he became surprised to find how quickly and gracefully the young Supreme Leader managed to dodge his attacks, managing to land on her feet as he crossed his arms in amusement.

"Your grace and technique are impressive...I must admit, you are a worthy opponent. But I wonder how long you can last against me, given how fragile and pathetic you really are", he arrogantly replied.

"" Funny, I thought you said you didn't come here to taunt me", the young girl replied, an air of sarcasm clear in her voice as she did.

"Oh, I didn't...The taunting is merely a bonus for me", he replied as a cocky grin began to form on his old face.

Creating a giant fireball in his hand, the yellow-eyed demon then sent it flying towards his opponent. Quickly jumping up to dodge, Rachel landed to her feet once more as he came towards her for another attack. Still prepared to face her old foe however, the young Supreme Leader put her arms up to defend his on-coming punch. Once this had successfully worked, she then proceeded to try and kick her opponent again, only for him to dodge as the two engaged in another fist fight.

"You may be a worthy opponent, but you are not as strong as my son, or my grandson for that matter. What makes you think that even stand a chance against someone like me", he asked in a cocky tone, only to receive a stern look from his young opponent.  
"I may not be as strong as Numbuh 0, but I have enough confidence in myself to try and stand up for my loved ones and my beliefs, even if I have to suffer dire consequences in the end", Rachel replied in a very stern yet aggressive tone. A flame of passion clearly burned in her eyes as she said those words, something the elderly demon could not help but find interesting.

Your courage and passion is admirable", the yellow-eyed demon remarked as he quickly vanished. Surprised by this sudden disappearance, Rachel quickly landed on her feet and began to look around for her opponent. "Too bad I find it so pathetic", he arrogantly remarked as he creeped up from behind her.

Upon hearing his voice, the young blonde turned around to face him. Unfortunately for her though, Grandfather elbow striked her in the forehead, only to then attack her in the stomach with a burst of fire. This burst then sent her flying into (and destroying) the remains of her flower field as she continued to rip through the ground as if she were a meteorite. She only stopped once she had created a giant crater in the ground, a large trail of destroyed ground she left behind lay in plain sight. As for Rachel, she lay flat on the hard ground, dirt covered her nightgown as she winced from the pain she felt pulsing through her body. Suddenly though, she felt herself being pulled up by her right wrist into the air, facing a now evil looking Grandfather once she was completely lifted. Despite the eerie sensation of feeling something bad may occur, all she could do at this moment was stare sternly at her enemy.

"What do you want from me", the young Supreme Leader asked in a rather stern yet authoritative tone.

" I will be brief, on the few occasions we've met, you have made it clear to me that you are a feisty, yet intelligent and passionate girl... You will stand up for what you value and your values...even if it leads to your downfall in the end", he observed in a rather sinister tone. " In fact, it makes me wonder just how long it will take for all of those qualities of yours to be stripped away."

"I will never join you...nor will I ever bow down to you ever again", she replied, her voice now a mixed tone of assertiveness and anger.

"I think you'll come to find that you have no say in the matter", he replied in a very sinister tone, one which both frightened, and confused the young blonde.

And with those words spoken, the satanic demon took his other index finger to her hand as he began to engrave some sort of symbol onto her soft skin. Rachel began to scream in pain as she felt the symbol burn itself into her skin, her screams bringing a smile to the old man's lips as her endless screams continued. Once the engravement was complete, he let go of his opponent, allowing her to drop hard onto the now lifeless ground. Silence came over the area as the young blonde slowly sat up onto her knees, despite the pain she still felt pulsing through her engraved hand. Curious about the mark he had bestowed upon her, she look at her sore right hand, only to find horror and confusion. The symbol engraved onto her hand was none other than Grandfather's symbol; the symbol that defined his wickedness, and the crest by which he was known for. Now horrified, she looked up to face the satanic demon, who could do nothing more than stare at her in obvious amusement.

"We'll be in touch", the satanic demon replied in a polite tone as he flew away, satisfied with how their little meeting though. But as she watched him fly off, what had once formed into fear inside of Rachel now began to become pure anger; anger towards Grandfather, and what he had done.

"Wait a minute! Come back here", she angrily shouted at him as sat up from where she sit. "I demand an explanation for this mark! Why would you-"

But before she could finish her sentence, a strange patter of lightning began to surge from the engraved mark. Catching her attention, Rachel could not help but gaze at the violent reaction that began to surge from her engraved hand. What had once been anger had now reverted back to fear as she gazed at her marked hand, unsure of what kind of spell or charm it was about to bestow upon her.

End chap.1


	2. Chapter 2

Well, here comes chapter two! The only note I really have is that Helga is another fan character of mine. She is basically Rachel's stern yet loving right hand maid. She has a somewhat conflicted relationshp with Harvey, but gets along with Rachel.

Other than that, read, review and enjoy!

The Demon Master's Puppet

Chapter Two: The Mark's Curse

A pleasant light emitted from that bright morning star known as the sun, illuminating the fabulous McKenzie manor as its light seeped through the vast open windows of this fine establishment. Of the many rooms it lit, Rachel's bedroom was one. As the bright star's rays danced around her face, the young blonde slowly opened her beautiful chocolate brown eyes to find herself in her own bedroom, safe and unharmed. She sat there, dazed for a moment, unsure as to whether she still dreamt or not. But as she began to fully awaken, the true answer seemed a little bit more clear to her than it did merely a few minutes ago.

"It was all a dream", she asked herself out loud, still slightly unsure if she remained in the land of the dreaming.

Although upon realizing the control she had over her own body, a small smile formed on her face as she realized she had indeed only gone through a nightmare which she was now free from. Sitting up, the young girl was now ready to freshen up, anticipating the start of a new day. Suddenly though, she felt a strange sensation run through her right hand, one which made her feel curious.

"That's strange...Why does my-", she thought to herself in curiosity as she pulled her right hand up from under the covers, only to cut her own thought off as a look of horror and anxiety formed on her beautiful face.

The mark which Grandfather left on her hand had transformed it, but it hadn't transformed her hand into just anything, no it had transformed her right hand into a Citizombie hand. It was more than a nightmare now as Rachel silently stared at her now giant, clawed and desaturated hand in horror. As this occurred, all she could feel surging through her body was anxiety, anxiety so high all she could do to release it was release a blood piercing scream. A scream so high and repulsive, that not only did it awaken, it also caused two very important members of the household to awaken; Rachel's right hand maid and friend Helga, and her younger brother Harvey, or Numbuh 363, head of Sector W. Simultaneously apart from each other, the two ran in a panic towards Rachel's room, meeting up with each other along the way. Now carrying a bat in her hand, the middle aged maid quickly opened the door, prepared to attack if necessary.

"Miss Rachel...huh", Helga sternly stated as she busted into the room, only to stare in confusion as she saw nothing more than her mistress lying awake in bed, a small smile clear on her beautiful face.

"Oh...Helga...Harvey...what a nice surprise to see you two so early this morning", she replied in a low yet sweet tone, one which only furthered Helga's suspicions.

"Miss Rachel, are you feeling alright", the middle aged woman asked in a suspicious tone.

"Oh...not really...I have a really bad tummy ache right now...", she softly replied.

"Wait...that's why you screamed to the top of your lungs and woke us up", Harvey asked in a clear tone of annoyance.

"Actually, that was because I realized that I have a lot of work to do today. And if I don't complete all of that work for today, than I'll begin to fall behind once work begins to pile up. And knowing me, I'll probably become quietly stressed out over it", the young girl explained.

"Enough that it would make you scream bloody murder", Helga asked in a still suspicious tone, causing Rachel to cringe, for she knew that the middle aged maid was not buying her little white lie.  
"Well...I admit that was an...overreaction on my part, but I'm pretty sure I can find a way to work that problem out once I'm feeling better", she replied in her usual calm yet still sweet sounding manner. Despite this, Helga refused to buy anything she had just heard from the young blonde. But even with this in mind, she decided to trust in her mistresses reasoning and let this situation go for now.

"Well, if you're going to stay home today, tell me...is there anything in particular you would like for breakfast once your stomach feels better", her maid asked sternly, causing Rachel to quietly sigh in relief.

"Oh...uh...well...would it be okay if I had a bacon and cheese omelet once I feel better please", she asked in a soft tone.

"I'll see to it that you get one today. Sleep well for now, Miss Rachel" she calmly replied as she walked out of the room, taking Harvey with her and closing the door in the process. But as they did, all the buck-toothed boy could do was pout at what had just happened.

"No fair! How come Rachel gets to stay home "sick" and I don't" he complained to their maid.

"Because when Miss Rachel lies, she usually has a good reason for doing so", she sternly replied.

"Oh, yeah", the bratty boy realized as he continued to walk down to the kitchen with his and Rachel's trusty maid.

Now that the cost was clear, the young blonde pulled the cursed hand up from underneath her soft bedsheets, a melancholy look now present on her beautiful face as she continued to stare at her now wrinkled and aged hand in pure disgust. But despite how much she wanted not to think of it, she knew that the disgust she felt ran even further than what had become of her hand. The disgust she felt within came from her ignorance, her inability to believe that such a powerful being as Grandfather could in fact hurt her in her own dreams. But now that he had shown her how wrong she really was, it only made one thing clear to Rachel; the yellow-eyed demon wanted her as his catalyst, and was prepared to make her his tool by any means necessary. Despite having the ugly feeling of doubt surging throughout her body, the young Supreme Leader tried as best she could to remain her positive self. She knew there had to be a way to reverse this spell put upon her, the question now was how.

"What do I do...Helga's already suspicious, and I can't stay locked in my bedroom until I resolve this situation...but I can't go out with my hand in this condition either", she thought to herself in a worried tone, sighing as a small moment of silence encased the vast room.. Although worry still ran through her body, the young girl shrugged it off as best she could and try to remain her confident self.

"Well, if I'm going to take a leave of absence for today, I may as well figure out my cover up" she thought to herself in a calm and thoughtful manner. "I just need someone to cal in sick for me".

Yes, but just who could call in sick for her? She could ask her friend Fanny, or Numbuh 86 to do it for her, but unfortunately, the newly appointed Global Tactical officer was out of commission due to a bad head cold, and would not like to be disturbed for anything. Sector V was another option, but they might find her story suspicious as well. And Harvey was out of the question, for he was already suspicious of his sister's weird behaviour she exhibited nearly five minutes ago. That only left her with one other option, an option she would hate to use. Remembering that she had no choice at this point though, she picked up her bedroom phone and began to dial the number. Unfortunately, annoyance as opposed to relief came to her as she realized that her transformed hand was now too big to press such small buttons.

"It just had to be my dominant hand", she replied in a tone pure annoyance as she put the phone in her other hand, and began to dial the number.

Elsewhere in Gallagher, the same bright star lit its gaze upon the small, but loving Drilovsky residence. Inside this small abode, a large quantity of food was being consumed as Jeffery, or Numbuh 600, second-in-command of Kids Next Door Arctic Base continued to almost inhale every last piece of food present at the table, enjoying each bite with utmost glee.

"Keep em' coming Mrs. Drilovsky", the blue eyed boy happily shouted as a pretty young woman with long black hair happily walked over to her kitchen table, carrying over something which caught the boy's hungry eye.

"Here you go Jeffery; a soft boiled egg topped with bacon bits. Just how you like it", she sweetly said as she put the dish down in front of the boy, who now began to drool in utmost hunger and glee.

"Mrs. Drilovsky, you make the best food in the whole neighbourhood" he replied as he began to consume the meal.

"Oh, thank you. Anything for my guests", she sweetly replied as she beamed a bright smile. "Oh, that reminds me. Patton sweetie, would you like seconds?"

"No thanks mom, I'm good. Besides, I wouldn't want to miss Jeffery's little Breakfast and a Show routine if I can help it", said Patton, or Numbuh 60, Drill Sergeant Supreme of Kids Next Door Arctic Base as he watched from the couch, smiling deviously at his friend as he continued to tease him. As per usual, this resulted in a small reaction of anger from the brown haired boy.

"Hey, you should be lucky your mom has the soul of a cooking goddess", he replied. "My mom can't cook half as good as yours."

"Yeah, but my mom's not half as annoying as yours is" the raven haired boy replied in a devious tone.

"Yeah...hey, watch it", the blue eyed boy replied in a tone of annoyance. She may be annoying, but she's still my mom."

"True. But I wonder what would happen if my wasn't such a great cook, maybe you'd get a better reputation from the cadets when I'm not around" Patton wondered aloud.

"Oh please, those cadets will never respect me as much they respect you and you know it" the blue-eyed boy replied in a matter of fact tone, causing his friend to chuckle.

" You got that right", he replied.

Suddenly, a loud obnoxious beeping sound could be heard throughout the two joined rooms. It took the young Drill Sergeant a few seconds to realize it was his cellphone ring tone as he took it out of his cargo pants to see who was calling him. Confused by the 'Out of Area" Id written on his cellphone, he quickly left the room to go into the front hallway for some privacy.

"I wonder who could be calling my baby at this hour", she asked in a tone of curiosity, looking over towards her guest for a possible answer.

"Don't look at me, I just come here to meet my friend and eat your food", Jeffery replied as he continued to consume what remained of his giant breakfast. Meanwhile in the front hallway, Patton lifted up the cover of his cellphone and pressed the phone up to his ear, curious to know who the caller was.

"Hello", he asked.  
"Hi Patton" said a familiar angelic sounding voice, one which caused a wide smile to form on the young boy's face.

"Rachel, hi. So what do I owe the pleasure of hearing from you so early in the morning", he asked in a teasing tone. "Did I act too reckless and impulsive again?"

"Cut the jokes Patton, I need to talk to you about something. It's urgent", the young girl replied in a stern yet slightly annoyed tone. But upon hearing her say the words urgent, the young boy felt a surge of seriousness overtake him as he was prepared to listen to his friend and superior, for he knew she would never joke around with an emergency.

"What's going on? Is it an emergency", he asked in a more serious tone.

"Sort of", she replied in a low tone, trying as best she could to hide the hesitation clear in her voice. "You see, I'm not feeling well."

"What! What do you mean you're not feeling well", the raven haired asked in a concerned, yet panicky tone.

"Well, unless you consider a low grey fever and a tummy ache as life threatening, I'm fine otherwise", she replied in a low tone, giggling at her friend's odd yet somewhat amusing response.

"Oh, well at least it's not too serious", he replied in a tone of obvious embarrassment towards his recent reaction.

"Anyway, the reason I called is because I need you to call in sick for me" she replied, her answer bringing nothing more to the young boy than suspicion.

"Why can't you just call in sick yourself" he asked in a suspicious tone.

"Well I would, but my connection to the Global Command main computer seems to be on the fritz right now, so I can't really call myself", she replied in a tone of mixed uncertainty and hesitation Despite his suspicion though, Patton decided to just leave the situation alone for now and do what she wants, for it was very obvious at this point that she wasn't quite ready to talk about her situation. Sighing for a brief moment, he put his cellphone back up to his ear, ready to give her his answer.

"Alright, I'll call in sick for you. But do you mind if I come over to visit you after work", he asked in a low tone.

"No", she screeched into the phone, surprising the young boy.

"I mean, no. It's not that I don't want you to come over, it's just that I'm a little worried that I'll get even worse as the day goes on, and I'd prefer if you didn't become sick yourself because of me."

"How considerate of you", he said in a low, yet suspicious sounding tone.

"Yes...how considerate...Anyway, thanks for doing this for me Patton", she replied in a low tone of uncertainty.

"You're welcome. Get better soon, okay", he stated.

"I will. See you around", she stated as she hung up on her end of the phone, Patton following in suit as he continued to think over his recent conversation with his lovely young friend in suspicion. Whether she was lying or not was uncertain to him at this point, but all he did know was that she was hiding something, and he didn't like that at all.  
"What are you hiding Rachel", he thought to himself in a low, suspicious.

The room stood in silence as Rachel continued to look at the phone with a sorrowful look on her face, disgusted with her recent act of uncharacteristic lying. In truth, she understood that it was necessary thing to do in a situation such as this. But if there was one thing hated to do, it was to lie, especially to someone whom she cares for very much. In truth, the honourable girl wished she could have told her dear friend of her troubles, but another look at her clawed hand only furthered her urge to hide her problem in secrecy, despite her disgust at having to lie to her friends and loved ones.

"I'm sorry Patton...but I can't risk you getting involved in this", she thought to herself in a sorrowful tone as she continued to stare at her hand, mixed expression of hurt and sorrow now clearly marked upon her beautiful face.

End chap. 2


	3. Chapter 3

Hello everyone, and welcome to chapter three! Today, I have a very few minor notes to let you all know about before reading this chapter.

1) At the time this was written, this was in fact that story's longest chapter.

2) If you've read my previous Rachel centric story "Of Fragile Leaders and Terrorists", then you know about Alex's otaku (as well as mild weeabo) status.

3) The joke utterd by Hoagie in this story was an actual joke from my brother. I had asked him to give me a joke in the veign of Hoagie, and he gave me the one he tells here.

Other than that, read, review and enjoy!

The Demon Master's Puppet

Chapter 3: Lies and Deception, Colds and Destruction

The Moon Base Zero Main Bridge; it was by far the most lively room of the Kids next Door's main base of operations, operating as though it were a living, breathing metropolis. It was here that operatives busily raced around in, sending out important missions or messages, trying to maintain their own work, or even just playing Whisby where they weren't suppose to be playing. And yet ever since the announcement of the Kids next Door's beloved Supreme Leader out of commission the previous day, things seemed to be as quiet as the scurrying of a small mouse. That's how it seemed to Herbie, or Numbuh 65.3 at least as he sat at his work station, trying to sort out missions to send to various sectors as he tried to ignore the unusual silence. Unbeknownst to him and everyone else however, a familiar figure had quietly entered the room. That familiar figure was none other than Rachel herself. She wore her usual full orange sweater and aquamarine jumpsuit complete with her symbolic samurai helmet, and her infected hand lay tucked away in a giant "cast". A sad look became present on her face as she looked down at her bandaged hand for only a second, allowing a stern look to replace it mere seconds later as she walked down the stairs and over towards her plump cohort and acquaintance.

"Good morning Numbuh 65.3", she replied in her usual calm yet stern tone as the nerdy boy yelped in surprise, only to find himself become pleasantly surprised to see the stern face of his leader staring intently at him as usual.

"Numbuh 362, Sir", the plump nerd shouted as he saluted his leader and good acquaintances.

"At ease solider", she calmly replied, signalling for him to put down the guard of formality.

"Sorry, it's just that it's great to have you back Sir", he replied.

"I never thought I'd say this...but it actually feels good to be back...Even though I've only been absent for one day", she replied in her usual calm yet stern manner.

"Yeah, I was actually surprised when Numbuh 60 phoned in to tell me you weren't coming in yesterday", he replied.

"Yes, well I would have called in myself, but I was having problems with the satellite feed on my computer for some reason" Rachel calmly replied.

"Well I'm not surprised. That computer of yours is so old, you really need an upgrade", the plump nerd replied in his usual snooty tone, one which caused the young girl to stare at him in an annoyed manner.

" Yes, I suppose it does", she replied in a rather low yet annoyed tone, shrugging ti off however, she went back to her usual stern look being present on her face. "Now then, what to I have to accomplish today?"

" Well, your monthly inspection of Arctic Base is today, and you have a giant stack of papers on Hamster Regulations to read and sign for tomorrow", Herbie explained.

"Lovely", she replied in a tone of blunt sarcasm.

"Hey, it could be worse. You could have two whole stacks of paperwork to sign like Numbuh 86 does", he replied.

"She's still sick", the young blonde asked in a tone of concern.

"Fortunately, she is. In fact, she called in sick this morning, she muttered something about how the Common Cold regretting the day he ever became a super villain when she gets her hands on him", he said in a low tone, the words he muttered causing Rachel to quietly giggle.

"That sounds like Fanny", she replied in a slightly amused tone, reverting back to stern soon after the sentence's novelty wore off for her. "Now as for my schedule, tell Numbuh 60 he can expect me at around twenty after eleven this morning."

"And the paperwork", he asked.

"Have all of it sent to my office, I need to start catching up before I fall behind on my work", the young Supreme Leader sternly replied.

"Yes Sir", the plump nerd replied in an authoritative sounding voice, saluting his Supreme Leader once more as he did. "Oh, I forgot to mention, Sector V is coming up here for a visit."

"What", she asked in a panicked tone as she turned to her acquaintance. Realizing she had let her guard sip down, the young girl cleared her throat and looked up at him with her normal stern expression. "I mean...Really? Why?"

"Well apparently, there's not very many missions for them to go on today, so there just going to hang around here for awhile", Herbie replied in his usual snooty tone.

"I see...", Rachel replied in her usual stern yet calm manner, turning away from her cohort immediately soon afterwards.

"Oh no...this is exactly what I was fearing would happen...If Alex senses the presence coming from my hand, then I'll have to...", she thought to herself in a panicked tone as her mind began to race a million miles per hour. "Alright Rachel, just calm down...All you need to do is-"

"Hi Numbuh 362", chirped a familiar sounding voice.

Upon hearing said voice, the young Supreme Leader felt panic surge through her body as she saw what she feared appear before her very eyes; Sector V. Her fear had become reality, but even as it did, she kept a soft yet stern composure upon her beautiful face, determined to mask her panic as she continued to watch the Kids Next Door's top sector walk down the stairs. In the front was Sector V's chipper Asian distractionist Kuki Sanban, or Numbuh 3, a big smile present on her face as she happily ran down the stairs. Behind her followed the three boys of Sector V. In the middle walked the team's suave and determined British leader Nigel Uno, or Numbuh 1. On his left side walked the team's geeky scientist and Pilot Hoagie P. Gilligan Jr., or Numbuh 2. And on his right walked the team's Australian hand-to-hand combat expert Wallabee "Wally" Beatles, or Numbuh 4. Despite her composure and anxiety, it pickled her curiosity that the team was missing two of it's members as the small group came to stand in front of her.

"Good Morning Sector V. Where is the rest of your team" Rachel asked in a mixed tone of calm, stern, and curious.

"Numbuh 5 is bringing Two-Seventy-Three in with her right now" Nigel replied.

"Yeah, she hasn't been doing so well since she got sick", Hoagie commented in a tone of slight worry.

"Alex is sick", the young girl asked in a tone of mixed concern, and surprise.

Upon saying those words, the young blonde could hear a very hoarse cough not too far away from the room's entrance. Feeling a surge of intuition as to who the cougher was, she rose her head up in the direction of the bridge entrance doors to witness two figures enter. One of these figures was the team's African American stealth spy and second-in-command, Abigail Lincoln, or Numbuh 5. The other figure she was helping in was the team's Canadian telekinetic- mutant Alex Dawson, or Numbuh 273, who continued to cough into her elbow as she walked down the stairs, her idol and best friend still supporting her.

"So, did gettin' a little bit of soda help at all", Abigail asked in a soft tone.

" Oh, yeah it did, unless you consider helping to feel like you have gerbils stuffed up your head", Alex replied in a stuffed, yet usual snarly tone, her tone angering her friend.

"Don't back sass me girl", she replied in a rather stern tone.

"I wouldn't back sass you Abby-sama", the mutant brunette replied in the most apologetic and fangirlish voice she could muster in her condition.

"I don't know, that still sounded like back sass ta' me", the spunky African American replied in a calm tone as they reached the bottom of the stairs to join their friends.

"Good Morning Numbuh 5, and to you too Numbuh 273, how are you feeling", Rachel asked in a stern yet polite manner.

"Well, I'd be better if my head didn't feel like a twenty-pound rudabager", she replied.

"Well if you still feel bad than why didn't you just stay home like I told you to", Kuki asked in a rather annoyed tone.

"Oh come on, you know I can't just sit around and sleep all day, I'd go crazy", Alex replied.

" Yeah, but you already are crazy, maybe gettin' a cold and sittin' around would do you some good", the short Australian replied in a somewhat cocky tone, showing off his usual dislike for the mutant girl.

"Not on your life shortie", she replied in a tone of stuffiness, and determination.

"Oh, I swear to God, once I get my hands on that Common Cold, he's going to reap the day he ever-", the Canadian mutant began in a mixed tone of over dramatic anger and determination, only to be cut off by an on-coming sneeze. This on-coming sneeze not only caused her Sector to cringe in fear, but also her leader/friend, for they all knew what was coming.

"Oh no, not again", the British bald boy said in a tone of slight panic.

"Get her away from all communication devices, stat", Rachel yelled. But it was too late, for by the time she had finished speaking, the mutant girl had now not only sneezed, but she had blown up Herbie's work space. And not only had she left a place of destruction, she had also brought the plump nerd to tears.

"My computer", Herbie screamed as he continued to cry over his workspace, gently stroking the remains of the computer as he did. "Oh...my sweet, beautiful Betsy".

"Betsy", Hoagie asked in surprise and confusion. Not long after that though, Herbie stood up to face Sector V anger very clear on his face as he opened his mouth to speak.

"Sector V, for being so careless with your teammates and letting them blow up my computer, I want your little friend here to-"

"Oh relax tubby, it's not like I meant to blow up your precious "Betsy"" Alex said in an angered, yet snarly tone. "And besides, do I look like a mechanic to you! There's plenty of other people you can ask to fix your computer for you, but don't pin it on me!"

"But...I just-"

"Oh wah, your needs", she replied in the same angered yet snarly tone. "What about mine! You think I enjoy feeling like this! No I don't! At least you full humans are lucky, you just get a little run down when your sick! I feel like someone dropped a 200 pound anvil on my head, and I can't even coordinate myself in battle now! Meanwhile, I'm blowing stuff up, I'm seeings auras all over the place, I'm having premonitions that don't make sense, something's got to give!"

"Woah! Heal girl, heal" Abigail said in a panicked tone as she grabbed her friend by the arms and dragged her away, leaving the snooty nerd in a state of cowardice and shakiness.

Despite the condition her cohort had been left in though, the young Supreme Leader could not help but quietly find her friend's reaction somewhat amusing. It did her heart good to know that her mutant friend was blending in so well with her teammates, despite having only being Sector V for almost a year at this point. And yet simultaneously, she could not help but feel both relived and concerned about her friend's cold. Concerned because Alex was almost like the sister she'd never had, and relived because now there was no way she could detect an odd presence from her arm. Seeing this as the perfect getaway to her office, Rachel began to quietly walk towards the Bridge steps.

"You seem to be in a hurry today", said a voice that startled the young girl, until she turned around to see that the voice belonged to Nigel.

"Oh, Hello Nigel. I am actually quite busy today, what with having taken a sick day yesterday" she calmly replied.

" Say, what happened to your arm? It looks like it's really swollen", the little Asian girl asked as she walked over to her friend and caressed her bandaged hand, a concerned look present on her cute face as she did.

"Oh, I sort of sprained my arm when I fell out of bed yesterday and had to go to the hospital. That's why I wasn't here yesterday", the young blonde explained.

"Uh, no offence Numbuh 362, but don't ya' think that bandage is a little too big fo' just ya' arm", the spunky black girl asked in a suspicious tone.

"Oh...well that's because I put on a pair of new bandages myself earlier this morning, so they're not as neat as they would normally look", she replied in a calm yet slightly nervous tone.

"Yeah, but I've neva' seen ya' be sloppy when it comes ta' First Aid", Abby suspiciously replied.

"Yeah", Alex suspiciously replied, for she knew just as well as her friend that Rachel was actually rather knowledgeable in the way of First Aid.

"Ah, lighten up guys. Besides, she might be able to make a great play, she's got the perfect "cast" ", the plump pilot said in a rather enthusiastic voice, laughing at his own bad pun as per usual. As per usual though, the braided beauty was rather annoyed by his horrible pun, so much so that she proceeded to take off her signature red baseball hat and smack him with it.

"Give me the hat Numbuh 5", Wally said as he walked over to his geeky best friend, who continued to happily laugh at his own joke. Unbeknownst to him however, his short-Australian friend quickly smacked him him on the head. This caused Hoagie to screech in pain as his friend returned the hat to a devious looking Abigail.

"Thanks man", she said in her usual calm and cool tone.

"Don't mention it", he said as he crossed in arms in pride, a wide cocky grin clear on his face as he did.

"Thank you Numbuh 4. This is a serious issue after all", the bald boy replied in a low and suspicious tone, one which angered the young Supreme Leader profusely.

"There is no serious issue at hand here Nigel", Rachel replied in a rather annoyed sounding tone.

"Too bad you actin' defensive doesn't help yo' case", replied the mature African-American girl.

"The only reason I'm acting defensive is because I can't believe you would accuse me of lying when you know I've never been very fond of the mere concept", she stated, her voice increasing from annoyance to emerging anger.

"And as a result, you're not very good at it either", the mutant brunette replied in a stuffed yet snarly tone, one which cause her blonde friend to quietly fume in anger.

"Fine then. Believe what you want to believe, but I know what I think", she sternly replied. "Now if you excuse me, I have paperwork to attend to."

"But Sir, your paperwork's still in my office", Herbie replied.

"Then have it sent to my office immediately", she replied in a stern yet angered tone as she walked up the stairs. Upon her exit, a thick blanket of silence covered the room. It remained this way for quiet some time as the six friends pondered what they had just heard, and witnessed. That is, until Kuki spoke up.

"Well that was awkward", the little Asian girl replied.

"Yeah, that was kind of aw-oww", the plump pilot remarked as he rubbed the sore spot on his head. "Geez Numbuh 4, did you have to hit me so hard?"

"Well you weren't taking the situation seriously Numbuh 2", Nigel replied in a slightly annoyed manner, defending his short friends actions as he did.

"I was taking the situation seriously. I'm just not above adding humour wherever it's called for", Hoagie stated in a matter-of-fact tone, trying his best to defend himself.

"More like addin' stink bombs wherever possible", the spunky African American quietly whispered, causing her mutant friend beside her to giggle in delight.

"Still though, I wish we weren't as hard on her as we were", the sweet Asian girl replied in a tone of regret and concern.

"Well, sometimes stuff like that just has to be done", Hoagie replied.

"Yeah, but we could've just used Two-Seventy-Three", Wally chimed in.

"Oh please, I know Rachel-san well enough that I don't even need to use my powers to know when she's lying", Alex replied in a stuffed yet sassy manner.

"So Boss, you think she's gonna' have a problem on her hands", the braided beauty asked in a curious tone, interested in knowing what her leader thought about all of this.

"There's no denying Rachel is lying to us, it's just a matter of knowing why", the British boy replied.

...  
It was quiet in the cold and gloomy corridors of Moon Base ZERO as Rachel walked towards her office, guilt and disgust swirling around inside her as an obvious expression of sorrow lay carved in her face. Oh, how she hated to lie, especially to her friends. But a small glance at her bandaged hand only forced her to endure the same dilemma she had through with Patton nearly a day earlier, to reveal their suspicious would be to involve, an option that was non involve . And in all honesty, all she could do was sigh sadly at the thought.

"I'm sorry my friends...", the young girl thought in a stern yet calm tone as she caressed her bandaged hand in sorrow and guilt. "But I refuse for any of you to be involved in this twisted game..."

End chap. 3


	4. Chapter 4

Hello everyone, and welcome to chapter four. There's really nothing major I want to discuss here today, with the exception of one thing; this chapter was the first to go through extensive editing toget to where it is now. I had a lot of trouble dialouge wise on this one, and I wasn't entirely certina of what i was trying to say in this chapter. Regardless though, I pulled through, just not as well as I had hoped. But as always, I'll let you guys be the judges.

Anyways, read, review and enjoy!

The Demon Master's Puppet

Chapter 4: A Ghost from Citizombie's Past

It seemed quiet, a little too quiet for Patton's tastes as he continued to walk down the corridors of Arctic Base. Maybe it was because he'd never been too fond of awkward silences, or maybe because he was off in his own head, continuing his pondering thoughts of suspicion towards his dear friend. Although to be fair, it only seemed quiet in his pondering mind as his best friend Jeffery walked beside him, ranting and raving as if anyone actually cared to listen to him complain about his aggravations about his job.

"God, that Kyle kid is so annoying", Jeffery replied in a clear tone of aggravation. "I mean seriously, I tried to explain to him what you always say "Sure, Hide and Seek may seem stupid, but you won't think it's so stupid when you cram yourself into a kitchen cupboard to save your life solider". And then he has the nerve to say to me "That's the stupidest logic I've ever heard in my life".

"Ugh, I swear to God I'd punch that kid in the face if I had the chance" he replied in an aggravated tone. But as he did however, he could not help but turn to his friend, annoyed that he had not really said anything by this point. " You know, I probably wouldn't look and sound as stupid if you were actually pretending to pay attention to me".

"What...oh, yeah, that Kyle kid is a pain in the ass", Patton quickly replied as he began re-entering reality.

"Patton, what's the problem? Usually you're either agreeing with or mocking me at this point", his friend replied, concern clearly detailed in his voice as he spoke. Much to the young boy's dismay, his friend observation made him release a small sigh.

"It's really that obvious when I'm out of it, huh" asked the young Drill Sergeant in a low tone.

"Pretty much...", the blue eyed boy replied. "So, what's on your mind?"

"Well...it's about Rachel...", Patton replied in a low, yet suspicious sounding tone.

" Oh. Well, what happened", Jeffery asked. "Did you piss her off again with something you did?"

"No, it's just that I can't get my mind off how suspicious she was acting yesterday", the raven haired boy replied in a tone of slight aggravation.

"What do you mean by suspicious?"

" Well...she called me yesterday right before we left for work. She said that she was sick and that she wanted me to call in sick for her. But...as much as I wanted to believe her, everything she was telling me about, like her communication link with Global Command being out and her not wanting me to visit her...it just came off as suspicious to me...", he explained in a very low tone. But as he did, all Jeffery could do was stare at him with a look of confusion clear on his face.

"So what's your point", Jeffery asked.

"My point is that she lied to me Jeff", he angrily replied as he stared at his friend for a moment, annoyed by his stupidity.

"Oh come on, you don't even know that for fact", the blue eyed boy replied in a tone of slight disbelief.

" I know that...but even so, I'm determined to find out while she's here today", he replied in a somewhat more optimistic tone.

" How are you going to do that? It's not like you can just walk up to her and ask "Hey Rache, great top see you, were you lying to me yesterday?"

"I have my ways. You see, Rachel has a this bad habit of blinking twice whenever she lies", he replied in a much more confident tone, brimming now with cockiness as he continued to think why he hadn't thought of that before.

"Really", the naive boy asked. "Wait a minute, than how can she be such a great actress with something like that?"

"Well, it helps that not a lot of people know about it", he replied, causing the confusion on his friend's face to immediately disperse.

It seemed as though the boys had impeccable timing, for they had now just arrived at the Base's Landing Space and Docking Bay. Two lines of twelve operatives stood proudly on either side of the line as a familiar looking R.O.A.D.S.T.A.R. began to slowly make its way down to the its intended Landing Space. Once it had safely landed (and had been put in park), the driver gracefully hopped out of the vehicle, revealing themselves to be none other than Rachel herself.

"Numbuh 60 reoprtin' for duty Sir", he yelled as he and Jeffery gave out a firm salute to their leader, the rest of their men following in suit.

"At east men", Rachel replied as she walked over towards the young Drill Sergeant, each operative returning to their proud looking stances. "And Good Afternoon Numbuh 60".

"Good Afternoon to you too Numbuh 362. I trust you're feeling better today", he asked in his usual flirty yet authoritative tone, trying his best to hide the suspicion in his voice.

"Why yes, I am. Thank you for asking", she sweetly replied.

"My pleasure...Although correct me if I'm wrong but...I don't remember you saying anything about having a broken arm", he replied in his usual flirty yet authoritative tone, still trying to hide his suspicion.

"Oh, well you see after my stomach was feeling better, I felt hungry, so I went to go make some breakfast for myself. But then I accidentally fell out of bed and sprained my hand in the process", the young girl explained in a calm tone, trying hard to hide the nervousness in her voice.

"I see, I never realized you were so...clumsy Sir", he stated in a somewhat teasing yet authoritative manner.

"Well, I can't always be graceful now, can I? Now then, I'm on a tight schedule today, so we should probably begin the inspection", she asked in a very calm tone.

"Very well Sir", Patton assured her as she began to walk into the vast underground base. But as she did, all the young Drill Sergeant could do was stare at her suspiciously. That is, until Jeffery walked up to stand beside him.

"Well, I think you're overreacting Patton, I didn't see anything suspicious about her behaviour", Jeffery said in a tone of disbelief.  
"Yeah, well I still beg to differ", Patton replied.

" Ah, come on. Twenty bucks says you are", the blue eyed boy replied.

"Really? Twenty bucks, or Twenty push-ups", he asked his friend in a devious sounding tone.

"Twenty bucks", his friends replied.

"Boys, are you intending to show me around today, or tomorrow", asked a stern looking Rachel.

"Coming Sir", the two boys yelled simultaneously as they walked over towards their Superior Officer.

It had only been half an hour or so since the arrival of their beloved Supreme Leader, and yet surprisingly, inspections were almost near completion. Rachel led the small pack as they began to return to the Landing Space she had parked her R.O.A.D.S.T.A.R. on, a stern yet soft lay present on her beautiful face, proving her satisfaction with today's inspection. To her right walked Patton, who seemed rather delighted that inspection had gone well, but still refused to let his suspicions about his dear friend. And to her left walked Jeffery, who could only do nothing more than stare at his female in Superior in both suspicion, and nervousness.

"Oh man, Patton was right; she really is blinking a lot", Jeffery thought to himself in a rather nervous tone. "Now I really do owe Patton Twenty bucks...oh, but I only have Ten on me. Ah, I'll just pay him back later. Oh, but he probably won't let me. Naw, I'm sure he will. Still, I wish I hadn't been so stupid."

"Well, that was quite an inspection. Thank you both for showing me around ", Rachel said in a very calm yet polite tone.

"You're welcome Sir", Patton replied in a polite yet still authoritative tone. "I except will be seeing the report soon".

"Expect it on your desk by next Monday", she replied. "Well I must be off. But before I do, I just need to freshen up."

"Feel free to do so Numbuh 362", the young boy replied.

"Thank you", she replied with a small smile, one which caused him to blush a light shade of pink. Once the moment had passed, the young blonde began to head in the direction of the left corridor. Unbeknownst to her however, the young boy continued to watch her, suspicion clearly written on his face as he did.

"Numbuh 600, why don't you go check up on the cadets? I need to be somewhere", the young Drill Sergeant sternly stated.

"Yes Sir", his friend replied with a salute, the two boys beginning to walk off in different directions as they did.

"Oh, and Numbuh 600", Patton replied in a devious tone. One which caused his friend to stop and turn to face him nervously.

"Yes Sir", the blue eyed boy replied in a very nervous tone.

" I expect to see that Twenty dollars on my desk first thing tomorrow", the young boy replied in a devious sounding tone, causing his friend to slump in despair.

"Yes Sir", he replied in a disappointed tone, slumping off to do his job immediately afterwards.

All was quiet as Rachel quietly walked around surroundings, looking for a small place to hide from her fellow operatives. It was then that he came across a small crevasse in one of the base's many corridors; it was dark and cold, certainly a place no operative would dare nap or relax in. Delighted by this discovery, the young blonde stepped into the small space and took her arm out of the sling. She then began to stretch it widely, feeling comfort in the stretch. And in all honesty, who could blame her? She had had her arm in that cast for so long, it felt as though would become as stiff as a statue.

"You seem satisfied", said a voice that startled the young girl. Upon turning around, she came to find that the voice belonged to a stern looking Patton, his arms were crossed and his face seemed to indicate that he meant business.

"Oh, Patton, you startled me", she replied in a tone that still reeked of surprise.

"Well, you are easy to startle", he replied in a low tone as he walked up to her.

"So it looks like your arm is okay, since you can move it just fine", the young boy replied in a suspicious tone.

"Oh, well it's like I said, I only sprained it, so I can still move it a little bit", the young girl nervously replied.

" Rachel...I don't know why you're acting so strange. But I do know two things; first of all, you and I both know that even with a sprained arm that your arm wouldn't be that flexible. And two, you wouldn't be making up as many excuses if you really were hurt", he sternly replied, his answer doing nothing more than causing Rachel's stomach to turn in fear.

"Wait...are you implying that I've been lying to you", she asked in an angered tone, trying to cover up her trail of lies and deceit as she did.

"I might as well be. You've been blinking so much for the last half hour, it was about to drive me crazy! In fact, I'm surprised no one else noticed", he replied in a now angered tone.

"Blinking is not an indication that I'm lying Patton", she said in a defensive tone, only proving his theory further as she blinked.

"Yes it is! You just did it again", Patton angrily replied.

"Oh, so what's next? Have I been acting too defensive for your tastes", she angrily asked.

"You have been acting defensive! In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if you were lying to me yesterday either with the way you've been acting", the young boy angrily replied. The young girl kept a stern face as he said those words, and yet all she could feel inside was budding guilt, for she knew what he had meant by his harsh words. Even so, she fought desperately to keep her masquerade afoot.

"What! What do you mean I was lying to you yesterday", Rachel replied in a very defensive tone.

"Because I didn't believe anything that came out of your mouth when you phoned me yesterday", he firmly replied. Despite her best efforts though, it was at this point that she let down her masquerade and she looked to the ground with guilt in her eyes. A moment of silence came upon them as she allowed her guilt to consume her, angry with both the situation, and for having lied to her dear friend.

"Fine...I admit it...But so what if I lied...I only lie when I have a legitimate reason for doing so", she replied in soft yet guilt filled tone, all the while continuing to avoid his angry gaze.

"Oh really, and what was your reasoning", he asked in a very stern tone, trying his best to keep his annoyance at bay.

"I can't say...", the young Supreme Leader softly replied as she continued to avoid his gaze.

"Why not", Patton sternly asked.

"Because I can't allow you to become involved in this situation", she sternly replied as she looked up to face him.

"Then at least tell me why you're being so secretive", the raven haired boy asked in a rather annoyed tone.

"Why should I tell you when I know how you'll react", she asked, becoming rather annoyed with his interrogating.

"Because as your friend, I have a right to know what's bothering you", he sternly replied. And as he said those words, the young girl could do nothing more than look at him in both surprise, and anger, for she realized that he was right.

"Very well, look into my secret", she replied in a rather stern tone as she held her bandaged hand to her friend, surprising him.

"What", he asked in a rather confused tone.

"I'm giving you permission to know what I'm hiding", she replied in a rather stern tone.

"But why-"

"Because as much as I don't want to involve you in this, I realized that you have a point; you do have the right to know what's wrong with me", Rachel sternly replied. Although surprised by what he was hearing, the young boy allowed his hands to gently wrap themselves round her hand, his curiosity getting the better of him as he began to unwrap her bandages.

"So just what kind of secret is this", he sternly asked as he continued to unwrap her bandaged hand.  
"Well...let's just say that this isn't something you'll find pleasant", Rachel replied.

"Fine, but I don't-", he began in a rather stern tone, only to stop himself upon unwrapping the bandages. And what he saw, he could not believe as memories of his transformation, their fight, and worst of all, her damnation came racing back to the young Drill Sergeant's head as he continued to stare at her cursed hand. And as he did, the young blonde could only stare at her friend in both melancholy, and a sense of predictability.

" I know it's odd...you reacted exactly as I thought you would", the young girl softly replied as her dear friend continued to try and regain his cool.

" Well if you figured that much, than maybe you should have given me a little warning", he replied in a rather stern yet startled tone.

"True, but knowing you, I had a feeling you would've reacted this way to the news no matter which way I had told you", she replied as her friend sighed, having finally regained his cool.

" You're probably right", Patton softly replied as a small moment of silence came upon the two old friends, one which was only broken as the young Drill Sergeant to speak.

"So...When did this whole thing start", he asked in a rather low tone.

" It all began yesterday", she replied in a rather melancholy tone.

"So I guess that means he's back again huh", the young boy asked in a rather angry tone as her silence answering his question for him. " Figures...that stupid bastard...how could he have possibly escaped again!"

"He didn't escape Patton...he came to me in my dreams", Rachel replied in the same melancholy tone.

"In your dreams", he asked in a rather confused tone.

"Yes", she replied.

"But ...why?..."

"He said he needed me as a catalyst for something he's planning. I refused his offer, but it only caused a fight to ensue. Once he had defeated me, he engraved his symbol into my hand. And when I woke up, I found my hand in this condition. I can only assume this is his way of threatening me into joining him..."

"You could be right about that...", he replied in a rather stern tone.

"Perhaps...But regardless...I sure hope this clears things up for you", Rachel replied as she looked at her friend, a worried expression clearly detailed on her face she did, for she was not quite sure what his response would be.

"Well, it does explain your phone call, and why you were acting so suspicious", he replied in a stern yet rather annoyed sounding tone. His tone only causing Rachel to stare in both guilt, and discomfort.

"I'm sorry Patton. I didn't want to lie to you, or anyone else for that matter. But...what choice did I have", she asked him as he continued to sternly stare at her, causing her to feel even more guilt and discomfort.

"Look...I don't like the fact that you lied to me...But even if we were in a situation where you didn't have a good reason to lie, I couldn't stay mad at you forever. Besides...this is about your problem, not mine", Patton replied in a rather soft tone, one which brought a small, but warm smile to the young blonde's face.

"Thank you Patton", she replied in a grateful tone.

"Don't mention it", he replied in his usual devious tone as a small smirk spread across his face. "So, have you figured out how you're going to defeat him?"

"Well, I did think about that a lot yesterday, but I haven't gotten very far yet. Ultimately, I've hypothesized that my best chance st defeating him is to go into my dream world alone", she replied in a calm tone. But as she said those words, a surge of panic and surprise began to swirl inside of the young Drill Sergeant as he stared at her in complete disbelief.

"What! Why!", he asked in a rather angered yet panicked tone.

"Because I refuse to loose anyone else to his wrath", she replied in her usual stern yet passionate tone.  
" But you can't just go in and face him alone", Patton angrily replied.

"Well why not", the young Supreme Leader asked in a very stern tone. "If I don't stop him before he takes a hold of me, then he could succeed at beating us all into submission for a second time."

"Because Grandfather's not like another villain we've ever faced! He has power, and continues to show off that power every time we go up against him! You can't take God-like being down with your one man strategy", Patton said in a rather stern tone, trying to mask the panic in his voice as best he could.

"I understand what you're saying Patton...but as much as I would like to bring along reinforcements...I'm afraid that I have to do this alone", she replied in her own stern tone, a tone which only further unleashed the panic that the young boy felt as his face became plastered with a look of deep concern.

"But-"

"Listen...He wants me as a catalyst for whatever he's planning, and he's proven to me that he's willing to make it happen by whatever means necessary. As a result...I can't risk him hurting, or even cursing any of my operatives...I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if he did", the young girl replied in a calm, yet stern tone as she stared at her friend with a melancholy expression on her beautiful face. And yet all he could do as she did was stare back at her in deep worry and concern as he he took her hands into his gloved ones, causing her to blush a light shade of pink as he opened his mouth to speak.

"I understand that, and I admire your courage and dedication, but I can't let you do this alone", the young Drill Sergeant said in a low yet determined tone.

"But why is this so hard for you to accept", she asked in mixed tone of confusion, and concern for her dear friend.

"Because I don't want that other Rachel to exist", he said in a very determined tone as his answer surprised his lovely female friend.

"But...why would you-"

"Because the Rachel that you became...that's not the Rachel that I care about...I know she might look like you...but she doesn't have your heart...You strong, kind and passionate heart that...I care about...So even if you are successful...you becoming a monster again is something I can't risk...", he replied in in somber yet heartfelt tone as his words touched the young girl. But even so, all she could do was sigh in deep sorrow as she took her hands out of his own.

" I know Patton...but you're not the only one who wishes for me to remain myself", the young girl replied in a tone of soft sorrow. Although confused by this at first, it was only once he saw the fear-filled look in her gentle chocolate brown eyes did he understand what she had said.

"Wait...are you trying to tell me that you...", he began in a soft tone, one filled with obvious curiosity.

"I fear that man...Not because of how despicable he is...but because he can turn me into something I'm not...", she explained in a rather soft yet fear filled tone. "When I became a citizombie...it felt as though I were me...but I wasn't...I felt like myself...and yet I felt a surge of evil inside of me...It was as if all of passions and hopes for humanity...it's like they didn't matter...", she softly continued as her voice obviously became even more fear filled as she continued on.

" Instead, they were replaced by underlying loyalty and devotion to him...And even though I wanted to continue to serve him, there was still a part inside of me fighting...screaming for someone to help me, and fearing that no one would wake me up from that nightmare...I don't want to endure that again...I don't want anyone to endure that again", she finished as her tone had now clearly been overtaken by her obvious fears of forced conformity.

And yet as she spoke, all Patton could see in her eyes was fear; fear of becoming a monster, fear of becoming a former shadow of herself, aiding a man she had no intention on acquainting herself with. It only brought sorrow to him to see her in so much pain as he recalled his memories from their fight and her downfall once more. She seemed so frightened, so surprised and shocked at his betrayal as he had grabbed her beautiful face with his clawed hand and had hurt her, and act he never would have done of his own free fill. And yet afterwards, she seemed so evil, yet so oddly herself, enough that it frightened him upon recall. And yet despite all of this, she was intending to weigh her entire soul and individuality to save an entire race, suffering for it simultaneously. Angered by her pain, the young Drill Sergeant gently grabbed her with his gloved hand and pulled her into a tight hug, something which rather surprised the young blonde.

"Believe me...I never wanted to hurt you...Or destroy you...so as your friend and loyal operative, I promise that Grandfather won't lay a finger on you...Not while I'm around...", he said in a low yet honest and determined tone as he continued to hold her tight, holding onto her as if she would fade into dust at any given second if he didn't. Although surprised by this, Rachel accepted his hug full heartedly as she wrapped her free arm around him, continuing to embrace each other as a small moment of silence occurred between them. Unfortunately, their small moment of understanding was broken once more as the young blonde broke free of their embrace to face him, opening her mouth to speak as she did.

"Thank you Patton, I'm touched by your words as always...But even then...I need you to make a promise to me", she replied in a rather sweet tone.

"A promise", he said in a rather confused tone as he continued to hold her cursed hand, unsure of what she was about to ask of him.

" Yes...I want you to promise me that you'll let me handle this situation on my own", the young blonde replied in a soft tone, her words causing the young boy to fill up with anger and anxiety once more.

"What! But-"

"Listen", she spoke as she pressed her free fingers onto his lips, silencing him in the process as she gently placed her soft hand on his cheek soon afterwards. "I know you want to help me, and I would appreciate your help...but this is something that I have to do on my own..."

"Besides...you know I can defend myself...", she replied in a rather devious sounding tone, one which caused Patton to sigh in disappointment. He didn't want her to do this alone, and yet he knew that there was no way of negotiation with Rachel on this. Besides, her strength and integrity was something he had always liked about her, and he couldn't help but find it enlightening, and irresistible.

"Alright...I promise...", he replied in a very sweet sounding tone, one which caused the young blonde to smile.

"Thank you", she replied as they smiled sweetly at each other, beginning to lose themselves in each others eyes as their moment of trust and care branched into the stroke of noon. AS the twelve chimes began to vibrate across every known area of Arctic Base, Rachel began to twitch in pain an uncomfortableness as her cursed hand began to react to the chimes. Not only did this cause her to collapse to her knees in pain and suffering, it also caused Patton to stand there in deep worry and confusion.

"Rachel", he yelled as he began to run towards her in a deep panic.  
"Stay back", she yelled to him as he continued to watch her, horrified by what he was witnessing. He couldn't protect her, he couldn't help her, all he could do was watch as she suffered in great pain before his fear filled eyes. But even as the thought of losing her ran through his mind, he was brought back to reality upon seeing her pain and agony end, collapsing to the floor as she did.

"Rachel", he yelled in fearful tone as he fell to his knees and gently cradled her into his arms, fearing he worst as he continued to hold her tight. Despite his fear, the young boy managed to calm himself enough to open his mouth and speak.

" Rachel...are you alright", the young Drill Sergeant asked in a somewhat calm tone, continuing to fear the worst as she finally managed to begin breathing at a normal pace once more.

"I think so", she replied in a rather soft yet shocked tone.

" Oh good", he said in a tone of relief as he embraced her into a tight hug, one which she accepted fully heartedly. And yet despite feeling relief wash over him as he continued to hold her tight in his arms, a deep feeling of fear and anxiety came swirling back to him as he looked down at her cursed hand, a look of horror clear on his handsome face as he did.

"What's wrong", she asked in an innocent sounding tone, uncertain as to why he looked as horrified as he did.

"Yo...Yo...You might want to look at your arms", he replied in a tone of obvious fear, an emotion he rarely if ever felt. Curious as to why her dear friend was as terrified as he seemed to be acting, she took his advice and looked down at her cursed hand, only to become as petrified as he was upon seeing the result of her spasm; the infection had spread further down her slender arm, spreading itself down to her elbow. Upon seeing this sight, all either of them could do was stare at her cursed forearm as moments passed by, moments as felt as though they had been continuing to live for centuries. These moments only ceased to exist once Patton opened his mouth to finally utter a single phrase.

"What does this mean", he asked, his tone still clearly filled with fear and uncertainty as the two good friends continued to stare at the result of this curse, only for Rachel to allow her fear to transform into quiet anger as she continued to stare at her cursed forearm.

"It means I don't have much time left", the young Supreme Leader replied in a stern tone as she began to stare at her curse loathingly, her thoughts bringing her to the man whom had laid this curse upon.

End Chap. 4


	5. Chapter 5

The Demon Master's Puppet

Chapter 5: Seeking Guidance

A void of nothing could to look scary to some, or intimidating or frightening to others. But as much as it bothered Rachel, all she could think about was running. This void of darkness seemed as though it would continue on endlessly as Rachel continued to run through her now empty dreamland, determined to find the man who had laid this curse upon her.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Miss. McKenzie. So glad you could come", said a familiar voice that startled the young blonde into a complete stand still. Already suspecting whom the voice belonged to, she quickly turned to face the satanic demon known as Grandfather. He sat perched atop a throne like chair, and that evil yet arrogant smile was ever so evident upon his old face.

"You", she said in a hate filled tone, one which made him genuinely frown.

" Oh come now, must I always be greeted in such a manner", the elderly demon replied in a tone of surprisingly genuine disappointment as he floated over towards the young girl. "I understand that I'm not a nice guy, but the least you brats could do is give me a proper greeting once in awhile."

"Well maybe if you didn't enact the Dr. Jackle/Mr. Hyde affect so much, I might know how to behave myself around you", Rachel replied in a rather stern tone as she crossed her arms, causing that evil smile to creep back onto Grandfather's face as he laugh in amusement.

"Oh please, as if I actually expect any of you brats to treat an old man with decency. Children haven't changed much from when I ruled the world, so what would make you act differently now? Because you act like an "adult"", he asked in a rather mocking tone, one which angered the young blonde immensely.

"Enough! I didn't come here to listen to you insult me a second time", the young girl angrily replied.

"Oh really? And why did you you come here", he asked as he folded his arm together, his tone still clearly full of mock.

" Oh, no reason...except so that you could explain this to me", Rachel angrily replied as she pulled down the sleeve of her tiger striped sweater, revealing her cursed forearm. Interested in what she had to show, the golden eyed man strummed his finger through his long black beard as he keenly observed her cursed forearm, chuckling in deep amusement as he did so.

"Well, it looks as though it's finally starting to take affect", he replied in a rather evil sounding tone as he stood himself up, his tone causing the young girl's beautiful eyes to widen in wonder at his statement.

" Take affect", she replied in a tone of confusion and surprise. " But wasn't this just a way of threatening me into being your catalyst."

"That my dear sounds more like something my idiot son would devise. And unfortunately for you, I'm much more diabolical than to simply threaten you into doing what I want", he replied in a dark yet sinister tone, a slight touch of arrogance creeping in as he spoke.

"You see, the Citizombie Curse I've bestowed upon you works in a very strict time format; every twelve hours, the curse will further affect your physical and mental being, until you become a full fledged Senior Citizombie", he replied in a rather sinister tone. Although this scared Rachel first, she could not help but notice something odd about his diabolical plan as he called it.

"Wait a minute though...my body never transformed yesterday. Wouldn't that technically suggest that there's a giant fluke in your curse...one which you overlooked", she replied in a stern tone as she keenly eyed him, only to see his creepy smile plastered on his old face as she said her words.

"Oh it's no fluke my dear. You see, the curse is designed to resonate with something very basic to you mortals", he arrogantly replied. And yet, it was at this moment that the young blonde had a hunch as to what he was referring to.

"It's emotion, isn't it", she asked as he looked at her her in great surprise. "If it is, then that would mean that the curse resonates with the emotion the cursed feels or exhibits most while under, transforming a part of their body whenever they feel said emotion at the twelve hour mark...And if my hunch is correct...then that would make my resonated emotion fear...Right...", she asked in a stern tone as the satanic demon stared at her evilly, giving her the answer she had been expecting in complete silence.

"Well...you are as smart as your IQ dictates...But pray tell, what makes you think it's fear", he replied in a sinister tone as he brought himself down to Rachel's height, just in time to see her stern look upon her beautiful face be replaced by a look of sorrow and fear as she opened her mouth to speak.

"Because I'm afraid of losing myself to that other me again...I don't want me...or anyone else become mindless servants to you for a second time...", she replied in a generally soft yet sorrowful tone, one which caused the elderly demon to chuckle deep in amusement as his evil smile remained on his old face.

"I know", he calmly replied, causing her to stare up at him as both confusion, and surprise became apparent on her beautiful face.

"What", she asked in a rather shocked tone.

" Well I must admit that it gets boring every now and then, waiting for you to arrive and what not. So for fun, I decided to do a little bit of spying on you. So as you can imagine, I had the pleasure of witnessing that delightful little moment of you suffering, but I also had the displeasure of watching that sappy little scene between you and that little fool" the satanic demon replied in his usual cocky tone. And as he did, Rachel could not help but blush at the mention of her little moment between her and Patton, somewhat embarrassed that her enemy had beard witness to that.

" Hmmhmm, oh that little Numbuh 60 fellow is such a naive little loser, thinking he could stand up to me alone. He's so stupid, it's almost worth paying for", he said rather arrogantly as he laughed in evil amusement, his comment causing the young girl to fume in anger as she clenched her fists together.

" He's not as stupid as you claim he is", she yelled at her enemy, causing him to stare at her in surprise as he brought himself back down to her level once more.

" What's this now, do I detect a hint of defensive anger towards my words", he asked in a rather observant yet sinister tone as he eyed the beautiful young girl. Fortunately for him however, he got his answer as Rachel's cheeks turned pink, turning hr gaze away from his as he chuckled evilly in obvious amusement.

"It' so easy to discern when you humans care deeply for someone" Grandfather amusingly replied in as he cupped the young girl's chin in his old hand, only for her to reject his gesture nearly seconds later.

"It doesn't matter! I swear on my title that I will defeat your hold over me and save not just the Kids Next Door, but all of humanity from your tyranny", she replied in a stern tone, a furry of passion shining clearly in her eyes as she did. Unfortunately for her however, the satanic demon could only laugh at her little deceleration, causing her to stare at him in confusion.

" You really think it's that easy? Especially with the kind of curse I've bestowed upon you", he asked in his usual arrogant tone, his question causing the young blonde to continue staring silently at her enemy.

"What do you mean", she asked with genuine curiosity.

" What I mean is that the more your fear heightens, the faster the curse will consume both your mind, and your body. And once it has fully consumed you, you will become a Citizombie...permanently", he replied in a creepy yet sinister sounding tone. And as he said those words, all Rachel could do was stand there as still as a statue, horror clearly detailed upon her face as she continued to absorb his words.

" No...that...that's not possible", she replied in a panicky tone, refusing to believe a word he'd just uttered. "Because if you were to be defeated, the-"

"It would make no difference whether I was defeated or not... once that curse consumes you, you can never return to being your true self..." he sinisterly replied as he watched the young girl sink into both panic and disbelief , smiling evilly in amusement as he did. A small moment of silence came over the area at once, one which was only broken once Rachel opened her mouth to speak.

"But...if I can never return to my true self again...then what will become of my true nature", she asked in a tone of both curiosity, and shakiness, afraid of whatever answer he would give her.

" Well to put it simply; who you are at mind will remain in tact...", he answered as he pointed towards her forehead with his index finger.

"But who you are at heart...will cease to exist...", he replied in a very sinister tone as he pointed his index finger towards the left side of her chest, watching as horror continued to become apparent on her beautiful face. "Giving me the advantage to manipulate you into destroying your childish organization and that infernal bible for me".

"But then that means that...I would become your puppet", she replied in a tone of pure horror at the very mention of the thought. She would become a slave, and evil, careless one who only did what she was told. There would be no friends, no passions, no fun, no Kids Next Door, no future; just...loyalty to this despicable, selfish man.

"Puppet is such an overused word, I prefer to think of it as...my desperately loyal servant", the satanic demon replied as his golden yellow eyes lit up with satisfaction. Not only did his words frightened the young girl, but they also stunned into into a small catatonic state as a moment of silence came amongst them. Fortunately for Rachel though, this moment of silence came to a close upon her snapping out of her stunned state and opening her mouth to speak.

"Never", she screamed at him in a frightened tone as she began to flee from the elderly bastard's clutches, fear continuing to surge through her as his words continued to repeat themselves in her mind over and over.

Suddenly though, she felt herself run into something hard, hard enough that it made her collapse to the ground. Upon looking up to see what she had run into, the young blonde became surprised to find herself facing the Citizombie Patton, smiling evilly at her as he was joined by a zombified Fanny, Sector V, Harvey, Helga, and various other people whom Rachel either knew, or was close to. The young girl sat on the ground in intensified horror as they began to laugh at her in a very creepy yet sinister tone, dog piling on her as they did. Rachel tried to break free from her captors, but it was no use as the Citizombies held tightly onto her fragile body, beginning to slowly infect her with their own corruption. She tried her best to resist like she had done once before, but it seemed no use as they continued to transform her, heightening her fear with every passing second as they did.

"Let me go! Let me go! I don't want to be your puppet! I refuse to be your puppet", she screamed in a deep tone of fright, trying to sound brave as she continued to relentlessly free herself from the grasp of her captors. And yet the puppets continued to laugh in pure evil delight as their master watched the scene in a smile of pure evil delight himself.

"Like I told you before...you have no say in the matter", the satanic demon replied in his usual arrogant yet sinister tone as he cackled evilly, disappearing in a dance of flames as he did. Unfortunately, what replaced him came as more of a shock to Rachel, who looked to stare at a reflection of her Citizombie self; cackling evilly herself as the young girl stared in horror at this monstrous puppet.

"Bye Bye", she spoke in a delightfully evil tone as her clawed hands ripped themselves out of the glass and wrapped themselves around her younger count part, beginning to strangle her as the disgusting green aura crept up her suffocated neck.

It was then that Rachel felt herself become paralysed by her own fear. She wanted to break free, but how could she when her loved ones continued to cackle evilly at their job, or even at her disgusting old counterpart continued to tightly grip her in neck as she gasped for air as the curse continued to consume her, almost as if it was saying that Grandfather had already won. Unable to take this for another second, the young blonde allowed her fear to transform into anxiety. Anxiety so high, she could only release it through releasing a high pitch scream as the curse began to fully consume her.

With her one final screech, the young girl awoke from her nightmare to find herself in her own room. Despite the familiarity of her surroundings, she felt unsafe as she began to look around the dark room in a state of panic and uncertainty, her breathing remaining heavy and anxiety filled while her arms stayed at her side. Upon realizing she was safe, the young blonde then managed to calm down, only to fill herself with anxiety once more upon seeing now long, desaturated arm. Frightened and afraid of what little time she had left, the young girl buried her face into her hands as she began to softly cry, unsure as to how she could resolve her own situation.

...  
The early morning hours of Kids Next Door Moon Base Zero, barely anyone came to this place so early in the morning. So much so that it almost seemed as though this radiant building was a foggy ghost town as Rachel walked through the empty corridors of one of the many upper levels, uncertain of what else to do, for she was unable to sleep since she had been rudely awakened earlier that same morning. From the lifeless expression on her beautiful face, she looked as though she had already become a mindless zombie as she continued to walk endlessly through the many corridors, Grandfather's nightmarish words continuing to play out in her head s she continued to mindlessly walk the many corridors of this level.

"I'm not your puppet...I'm not your puppet...I'm not...your...", she said as she allowed her head to collapse onto a window pane, depression very clear in her voice as a string of hot tears began to flow from her eyes.

"What do I do?...I can't face him now...knowing what will happen if I do...But I can't just let his plan continue as it is...But...What can I do?...", she thought to herself as her sorrow continued to increase with every word she thought. In the depths of her heart, she wanted to believe that there was a way of defeating that old tyrannical demon. But with the way things had turned out, she felt as though she were useless; useless in her attempt to best him, useless in her own desire to protect the hole of humanity from his tyrannical wrath and totalitarian ideals, and ultimately worthless in her selfishness and cowardice of being defeated by that man. It seemed as if there were no chances, no glimmer, no hope left for herself, or anyone else as tears continued to fall down from her beautiful chocolate eyes.

Upon opening her tear filled eyes however, she came to find herself staring at a certain deity amongst Moon Base Zero; the golden statue of the Kids Next Door Seventh Founder and son of the demonic bastard himself; Numbuh Zero. It had only been installed into the rebuilt base almost over an entire year ago, and yet it held much more significance than most operatives who worked on Moon Base could have ever possibly imagined. True, it was a well constructed monument to a great hero to whom they owed a great debt of gratitude. But it had also become a sort of spiritual icon to some. In fact, many operatives came to the statue for spiritual guidance when they were down on their luck in both work and life, hoping that perhaps the spirit of the great Numbuh Zero himself would guide them towards the answer they seeked.

To Rachel, the idea of spirituality had always seemed quite silly. And yet somehow, she felt herself feeling obligated as she dried her eyes, walking into the room only seconds later. All seemed too quiet within this grand room as the young girl's footsteps were the only visible sound prominent within the entire room. But in all honesty, she didn't mind much. For she could not help but be impressed with this magnificent statue which stood before her; it was incredibly detailed, with every last drop of thought and care put into its creation shining eminently in her still foggy mind. Looking at this magnificent statue, she could truly understand why many would perceive it to be a spiritual guide as she kneeled before the mighty statue, still feeling somewhat silly and now uncomfortable as she opened her mouth to speak.

"Hello Numbuh 0", the young girl said with deep hesitation, and air of uncomfortable present in her soft voice as she continued on. "This...This seems odd that I am kneeling before you today, especially because I've never been highly spiritual...but...I don't know where else I can turn to at this point..."

"Recently, I've been cursed by your father...he plans to use me as a catalyst in his plans for world domination...A plan that involves me becoming his eternal puppet...just so that he can destroy the Kids Next Door...", she replied in a small yet weak sounding voice, staring at the statue once more as silence encased the room.

" I wish I could be as strong as you and defeat him in one swoop...because I truly want to vanquish him from my mind...And yet I'm afraid of what will happen if I fail to stop him... I fear becoming his little puppet to control at his every whim...and yet I feel so guilty for only thinking of myself when I should be thinking about the millions of people I desire to protect from his wrath...I can't be like you...and yet I... I don't know what else to do...", she replied soft yet sorrowful tone, allowing hot tears to fall from her beautiful eyes once more, feeling a surge of hopelessness run through her once more. After her sobbing had encased the room for sometime, it managed to cease itself as Rachel began to wipe her eyes dry of her tears.

"Oh, look at me; I've sunk so low, I'm asking a statue for advice. Next thing you know, I'll be asking the Book of KND for advice", she said as she laughed at the thought, realizing just how ridiculous that sounded. Or maybe it didn't sound as crazy as she thought it over; after all, the Book was not just simply a bible for the organization, but also a tool and symbol of Hope, a realization that managed to bring a smile to the young blonde's face for the first time that morning.

"Wait, that's it", she thought to herself in a more delighted tone as she brought herself up onto her feet, beginning to head for the room's exit. Or at least she was until she turned to face the magnificent statue one last time.

"Oh, thank you for inspiring me...Numbuh 0" she said in a playful sounding tone as she winked at the statue, continuing to head towards the room's exit as another thought crossed her mind. "I just hope Matt's at the Museum."

A citizombie felt itself collide with the hard ground, feeling a painful, and an aching feeling sensation from the sore spot on it's old cheek. It had been punched out by none other than an angry looking Patton, who had come to find himself surrounded by millions of citizombies. Regardless, he used his combined martial arts and free style training as he continued to fight his way through a sea of delightfully evil citizombies, determined to seek and help his dear Supreme Leader.

"Rachel", the young Drill Sergeant yelled as he punched one citizombie in the stomach, and flipped another one over his head. "Rachel, where are you", he yelled as he continued to frantically search for her, praying that she had not been harmed.

_Help me Patton!...Help me!...  
I don't want to die...I don't want to become a puppet...  
I don't want to die...I don't want to become a puppet...  
I don't want to die...I don't want to become a puppet..._

"What do you mean", he shouted, uncertain as to what she was trying to explain to him. Suddenly though, the young boy came to find himself facing the object he had been seeking; Rachel herself. Although happy to see her, he was puzzled by why she was kneeling on the ground, her body positioned as if it were a puppets; flimsy and lifeless.

"Rachel", he replied in a somewhat confused, yet concerned tone as he collapsed to his knees, wrapping his gloved hands around her slender arms as he did so.

"Are you alright", he asked as he began to shake her, afflicting no response from her, causing his concern to transform into general panic.

" Hey...Hey...Hey!...What's wrong with you", he angrily asked as he continued to frantically shake her, masking his obvious panic as best as he could.

""You're too late...", Rachel replied as no emotion ran through her voice, causing the young boy to be lost in confusion.

"What do you-"

"The Rachel you knew no longer exists", the young girl said, her voice now filled with an uncharacteristic tone of cruelty and menace as she looked up to face her old friend. Her eyes were that of a citizombies's, and her face brimmed of evil delight as she cackled evilly.

It was upon this sight that Patton awoke from his nightmare, his breathing was rapid and panting, and his eyes clearly depicted the fear he had just endured. That fear was what continued to surge through him even after he calmed himself down, trying determine the meaning of his ream. In truth, he did not know exactly what it meant. But at the same time, he felt as though it were symbolic; that if Rachel were to lose her battle with Grandfather, she would become a lifeless, thoughtless puppet to him. If that were truly the case, then it seemed all too clear to the young boy that he had to help his beloved friend, refusing to let her disappear.

"Don't worry Rachel...I'll find a way to help and protect you...I promise...", he thought to himself in a tone of clear determination, his thoughts drifting towards his beloved friend as a look of pure determination became clear on his handsome face.

End chap. 5


	6. Chapter 6

Hello everyone, and welcome to chapter six. Before we get to that however, there's a few notes regarding this chapter that you need to know.

1) First off, the song playing during Rachel's preperation sequence towards the end of the chapter is Absolute Destiny Apocalypse from teh classic anime series Revolutionary Girl Utena. I have recently become associated with the Utena universe in recent months, and thought it would be a cool little homage to incorporate into the chapter. I understand that the lyrics do not match with what is going on in the story, but I thought it would be cool to have it in the chapter. To listen to the song, please look up Utena Absolute Destiny Apocalypse, and look for the version that it two minutes and six seconds.

2) This is the first time that I have incorporated Matt inopt any of my fics. Personally, I feel that I have written him well. But whether he is or not, I leva ein your judgement.

As always, read, review and enjoy!

The Demon Master's Puppet

Chapter 6: Into Satan's Dean

The Kids Next Door Museum of Super Cool Artifacts; to the people who knew of its existence, it seemed to be either one of two things to many different people. To those whom respected its existence, it was a well documented shrine to all known Kids Next Door artifacts, both fictional and historical. But those who were more jaded in their thinking, it was nothing more than a trinket display of useless, out-dated junk. Or at least those are the kind of reactions the Museum seemed to bring out from people ever since its initial creation as the thought ran through the Museum's curator (and resident Kids Next Door fan boy) Matt, or Numbuh 101 as he sat comfortably at his desk. Now that he had completed his early "Artifact Dusting", the redheaded geek was now free to do as he pleased, which included eating popcorn and watching his favourite Reality Drama.

"We now return to our top rated show; Decomissioners", the TV announcer voiced with great enthusiasm as Matt continued to eat his popcorn in anticipation.

"Ooh, I love this show", he said with giddish fan boy glee as he watched the Decommissioning Squad trying to catch a fugitive operative with great interest.

"Oh classic", he replied in fan boy gush, only to feel himself become confused as he heard the sound of a vehicle landing itself in the Museum's parking lot.

"That's weird, who could be here at this hour? The Museum doesn't open until Nine Thirty, and I don't have any tours scheduled for today", he thought to himself, a wide smile emerging on his face as he began to determine who it might be. "Oh my god, maybe it's Sector V coming to retrieve the stuff I stole from their Tree house a few days ago", he said in a delighted tone as he jumped out of his chair and onto his feet.

"Coming", Matt excitedly stated as he grabbed his autograph book and ran for the main entrance. Upon making his way there though, the redheaded geek came to find that not a legendary Sector, but rather a familiar blonde haired figure stood before him in the doorway.

"Oh, it's the Kids Next Door's esteemed Supreme Leader herself", he said with the utmost fan boyish glee as he clapped his hands together, walking over towards his superior as he did.

"Welcome to our Museum Numbuh 362, it's an honour to have you here. Oh, I grovel at your feet your loveliness", he said in a tone of genuine enthusiasm as he fell to his knees, attempting to kiss her sandled feet.

"Don't grovel", Rachel calmly replied as she inched her foot away from his lips. "And Good Morning to you as well Matt."

"Oh, it's a pleasure", he replied as he brought himself back up to his feet. "So, I see your arm isn't doing too well."

""Not really, I never imagined someone as coordinated as me would actually sprain my arms falling out of bed to be honest", the young girl replied in a genuinely stern tone as she unleashed her little white once more, feeling somewhat guilty that she had to do so again.

"Well, there's a first time for everything", the little redhead replied. "So, what can I do for you today your fairness? I mean, obviously you came here for some reason. Ooh, maybe you're here to see my latest additions to the Museum! Oh, you're going to love them."

"The Book", she sternly replied, her response bringing only confusion to the redheaded geek's face.

"I would like to borrow the Book of KND."

"You want to borrow the Book? But didn't you tell me to store it in a super safe place where no one would ever think to look after Numbuh 1 gave it to you", Matt asked in a somewhat confused, yet suspicious tone as he placed his hands on his hips.

"Yes, but I need to use as reference for an up-coming document I have to create", she replied in a calm yet stern tone as she lied to the small boy once more. "So with that in mind, may I please borrow the Book?"

"Absolutely! Just follow me Sir", he happily replied as he began to lead his superior officer towards his office.

"Excellent. Thank you for lending it to me Numbuh 101", Rachel replied in mixed tone to sweet and stern.

"Oh anything for a great Kids Next Door operative like yourself", he gushed as his tone began to sound very nasily. "Now, I don't mean to pry but, do mind me asking what kind of document you're writing about?"

"I'm afraid that's classified information", the young Supreme Leader replied in a stern yet authoritative tone.

"Oh, come one please", the redheaded geek pleaded.

"No", she sternly replied.

"Please", he pleaded.

"No", she sternly replied.

"Oh come on on, I'll be your best friend", Matt pleaded as he attempted to bribe her.

"No", she sternly replied.

"I'll tell you what happens in the next episode of Dr. Time Space" , he pleaded as he attempted to bribe his superior once more.

"No. Besides, I'd rather find out for myself what happens", she sternly replied as she walked into Matt's office, the redheaded boy following in pursuit as she did.

"Okay, if you insist", he replied. "But I'm telling you, it is so awesome! There's this one part where Dr. Time-"

" Perhaps I didn't make things clear Matt...I'm on a tight schedule, and picking that Book up is my top priority for today, so with that said, would you mind getting it for me please", Rachel sternly replied, voicing her clear annoyance with the little redhead to him. And if there was one thing any Kids next Door operative knew not to do, it was annoy or piss off their Supreme Leader.

"Uh right, of course Sir", Matt hesitantly replied as he slowly backed away from his superior, only to face the bookshelf behind his desk area.

"Behold, my ultimate hiding spot", he said in an epic yet enthusiastic tone as he pulled one of his books out of the shelf, causing Rachel's facial expression to transform from stern into wonder and amazement as the bookshelf turned around to reveal the Kids Next Door's sacred bible; Book of KND, looking as shiny and illustrious as ever.

"Wow, clever", she replied in a tone of genuine amazement.

"Yeah, I know", he replied rather enthusiastically as he took the Book out of its hiding spot and handed it to his superior, causing a wide smile to form on her beautiful face. "Here we are, one Book of KND."

"Perfect. Thank you for lending it out to me once again Matt", she replied in a rather happy sounding tone.

"Ah, don't mention it", he replied. "Now if you'll excuse me Sir, I've got to get ready for Sector V's arrival", Matt said in a rather enthusiastic tone. Unfortunately though, it only took for the words Sector V to bring a frown to Rachel's face, for she knew why he would need to prepare for their arrival.

"Matt, what did I tell you about stealing property from other Sectors", she asked in a very stern tone, disappointment clear in her voice as she uttered her words towards the little redhead.

"Oh don't worry, I'll give their stuff back to them. Besides, this is just my way of getting their autographs. I mean, obviously I have all of their autographs already, but not in Pink", the little redhead replied in with great glee.

"Although Numbuh 1 still owes me an autograph in red. I mean come on, George Washington? Don't they know that ruins the autograph book", he replied in a rather angered tone as he walked off in his own direction. As he did, the young blonde could not help but roll her eyes at how overly fanatical Matt was being. Although in all fairness, she couldn't blame him for doing so, considering that she would probably act the same way if something happened in Dr. Time Space that she didn't particularly care for.

Only afterwards did she begin to head back towards the entrance way as she glanced at the sacred item in her hand. The Book of KND; it served not only as a sacred bible to the Kids Next Door's lifestyle, but also as a symbol of hope for all of kid kind. Its use as a tool had been proven by its hand in defeating Grandfather, who was now known to all as the epitome of all greed and despair. But although she refused to listen to the old man's harsh words, she knew he was right about one thing; she was not Numbuh 0, nor was she a perfect being who stood no chance of failing. Despite this however, the young girl refused to give into his words so easily as a fire of passion lit up in her eyes, proving her resolve to risk everything for the sake of many.

"You can think whatever you want Grandfather...But I promise you...you're going to regret the day you decided to mess with me", the young girl sternly thought to herself as she hopped back into her R.O.A.D.S.T.A.R., a determined look clear on her beautiful face as she flew herself back to Moon Base.

_Zettai Unmei Mokushiroku (Absolute Destiny Apocalypse)_  
_Zettai Unmei Mokushiroku (Absolute Destiny Apocalypse)_  
_Shussei Touroku, Senrei Meibo, Shibou Touroku (Birth Records, Baptismal Registry, Death Records)_

Silence encased the small training room as Rachel stood stern and firm, her hands tightly wrapped around her Yield Staff as small red eyed robots closed in to attack her. As if on cue, the young blonde sent a powerful kick towards one of the robots, causing it to collapse to the ground. She then proceeded to punch another robots, and flip another robot over her head single handedly. The young girl then proceeded to use her staff as a defensive weapon as she proceeded to use both the yield Sign, and the punching bag of her staff to take out the small army. It would seem as though silence had encased the room once more as Rachel stood amongst the fallen robots, determination clear on her face and passion clearly visible in her eyes.

_Zettai Unmei Mokushiroku (Absolute Destiny Apocalypse)_  
_Zettai Unmei Mokushiroku (Absolute Destiny Apocalypse)_  
_Watashi no Tanjou, Zettai Tanjou, Mokushiroku (My Birth, Absolute Birth, Apocalypse)_

The sound of clattery sandal bottoms echoed throughout the silent corridor as Rachel sternly walked towards her destination; the 2x4 Weaponry Storage Room, sued only for emergency situations. Upon reaching her destination, the young girl quickly looked back to see if anyone was walking along the same path as her, despite knowing that not many operatives came down this corridor to begin with. Seeing that the coast was clear, the young Supreme Leader held up her cursed hand to type in her entry code. Upon being activated, the door slid open for the blonde girl, determination and passion still clearly dancing in both her eyes, and on her face.

_Yami no Sabaku ni Sanba, Uba (A wet-nurse and a widwife in a dark desert)_  
_Kin no Mekki no Tougenkyou (A gold-gilded Shangri-La)_  
_Hiru to Yoru to ga Gyakumawari (Day and night turning in on each other)_  
_Toki no Mekki no Shitsurakuen (A time-gilded lost paradise) _

The 2x4 Weaponry Storage Room; to those who did not it it well, it was huge cornucopia of 2x4 Technology weapons that could not be found so easily. But to those who knew it well, had a much simpler time of picking out certain 2x4 items, as long as they knew what they were looking for. Such is the case with Rachel as she observed a GUMZOOKA with expert care, gently tossing it over to the small area her backpack was located in. She repeated this with a SCAMP, a SPLANKER, and a few MARBLEs before she had a fairly decent arsenal of weaponry. Placing them neatly into her little orange/aquamarine backpack, the young blonde tightened the opening straps on her back pack, proceeding to leave the room soon afterwards as the door closed behind her.

_SODOMU no yami (Darkness over Sodom)_  
_Hikari no yami (Darkness in the light)_  
_Kanata no yami (Darkness over Yonder)_  
_Hatenaki yami (Darkness never Ending)_

Silence encased her illustrious office as the young girl continued to read and study the organization's scared bible intently, gently putting the Book down nearly a half an hour later as she began to feel the hope from the book surging through her body. It was then that Rachel proceeded to write a small note in permanent black ink, folding the piece of paper in half once she had completed her two sense.

_Zettai Unmei Mokushiroku (Absolute Destiny Apocalypse)_  
_Zettai Unmet Mokushiyami, Mokushiro (Absolute Destiny; Apocalyptic Darkness, Apocalypse)_  
_Mokushi Kushimo, Shimoku Kumoshi, Moshiku Shikumo_

It was then that the young girl proceeded to saddle her orange/aquamarine backpack onto her back, all the while  
tightly cradling both the Book, and the note in her slender arms. Lying her flat on her comfy office bed, she closed her beautiful chocolate brown eyes as she relaxed her body, allowing herself to drift off into another plane of existence; the Dream Plane. Yet despite feeling a more hopeful vibe running throughout her mind and body, the young girl could do nothing but hope and pray that her plan would succeed.

_Mokushi Kushimo Shimoku Kumoshi Mosiku Shikumo_

Silence had encased the now desolate and dreary dreamland of Rachel's as a small light took her shape, signifying her entrance into this land of wasted land. Her eyes remained closed as she began to gently float down towards the now scorched ground.

_Mokushi Kushimo Shimoku Kumoshi Moshiku Shikumo_

As she descended down towards the parched ground, a strong flash of light overcame the young girl symbolic samurai sabred helmet, extending her helmet down to cover most her golden blonde hair. Her tiger striped sweater vanished, revealing her silver chest plated armour as her purple and crimson gloves wrapped themselves around both her normal and cursed hands. Before her left formed her Yield Staff, which she twirled around a few times before grasping it with a firm grip.

_Mokushi Kushimo Shimoku Kumoshi Moshiku Shikumo_

Now with her full plated armour, the young girl looked more like a powerful warrior than a stern yet fair Queen as she continued to slowly descend towards the destroyed ground. It took however, not too long before she finally felt her sandled feet gently touch the parched ground underneath them.

_Mokushi Kushimo Shimoku Kumoshi Moshiku Shikimo_

_Mokushi Kushimo Shimoku Kumoshi Moshiku Shikumo_

It was at this moment that the young Supreme Leader opened her chocolate brown eyes. A strong yet passionate fire clearly ignited in both her eyes and face, signifying both her determination, and her resolve to defeat this black bearded man.


	7. Chapter 7

Hello everyone, and welcome to chapter seven. Now much like the last chapter, there are a few nottes you'll need to take into consideration before reading this chapter.

1) This chapter establishes Alex dark connection with Grandfather, as I had explained in chapter one.

2) When Alex talks about Pure Black Auras, she is reffering to a special technique in her Aura powers she calls a person's "Pure Aura Essence". A Oure Aura Essence is basically a person's trua aura, which determines who they are at heart. If the aura is Pure White, the person is generally good at heart. Id the aura is Pure Grey, teh person is borderline evil/borderline good. If it's Pure Black, then the person is pure evil at heart.

Other than that, read, review, and enjoy!

The Demon Master's Puppet

Chapter 7: Unasked Assistance

Even in this early morning hour, the hallways of Moon Base Zero seemed to be flooded with bright colours. They also seemed to be filled with the sound of clattery boots as Patton continued to run towards the bridge, determination eminent on his face as fear and panic ran through his body. He had not been able to sleep since his earlier nightmare, and while not certain of its meaning, he only knew one thing; it could mean trouble for Rachel, trouble that she must be told of. It was that thought that centred in his mind as he busted through the heavy doors of the Main Bridge, only to stand perfectly still atop the steps upon doing so.

"Numbuh 60 reportin' for duty Sir", he yelled in his usual authoritative voice. Much to his surprise however, no one else was in attendance on the bridge; no Rachel, no Fanny, no other operatives, except for one; Herbie.

"Oh uh, Numbuh 60...What brings you here so early in the morning", the plump nerd asked in a somewhat nervous tone, clearly demonstrating in fear of the young boy. Unfortunately for him though, the young Drill Sergeant sternly turned towards him to talk, considering that he was the only one within range of a talking distance.

"I need to speak to Numbuh 362 about something urgent. Do you know where she might be", he asked in an authoritative tone.

" Well I haven't seen her at all this morning...but she's usually here at this hour, so maybe try her office", Herbie replied, his answer bringing a small smirk to the young Drill Sergeant's face.

"Perfect, thanks Solider", Patton replied.

With that, the raven haired boy ran out of the room as he began to make his way towards his lovely superior's office. This was a feet that proved to be rather simple and non-time consuming, for as per the request of the young Supreme Leader, her office space had been structurally been built closer to the bridge in the rebuild of Global Command. It was this thought that crossed Patton's mind as he looked upon the door to her office, beginning to knock on it as he did.

"Sir...Sir...Rachel...Are you in there", the raven haired boy asked as he went to open the door, only to find that it was already opened. Now feeling suspicious, the young boy slowly opened the door, only to find his lovely friend in a peaceful slumber on her office bed. Now feeling a surge of worry overcome him, Patton rushed over to Rachel's side, determined to know whether she was alright or not.

"Rachel...Rachel...Rachel, can you hear me", he yelled as he continued to look over her entire being, only to find the Book of KND and a small piece of paper wrapped tightly in her slender arms. Feeling curiosity overcome him, the young boy gently grabbed the paper out of her arms as h e unfolded it, determined to know its content.

_To whoever finds this; Whether you know my story or not, I have gone into the inner sanctums of my mind to deal with a man who seeks to control me. Take what you will from this, but just heed this warning; Allow me to awaken on my own and not by your own accord._

Signed,  
Rachel

Upon reading the note, all the young Drill Sergeant could muster was a small expression of shock. His shock however, slowly transformed in to raging anger; anger towards Rachel for having done this, and anger towards himself for not assuming that Rachel might attempt this sooner than he had initially expected.

"Damn it Rachel...Why would you do something so stupid", he asked in a whispered yet angered tone as he ran out of her office, determined to find someone who could help him.

Elsewhere in the vast base, the six members of Sector V walked along the many corridors of said base. Despite the early morning hours, they seemed to be their generally perky or calm and collected selves. But how could they not be with their determination as they continued to walk towards their destination; Rachel's office.

"Oh man, Numbuh 362's going to love my latest invention. Goodbye cellphones, hello BlueTooth knock-offs", Hoagie gushed with geekish glee as he looked over his small yet seemingly useful invention.

" Don't forget Numbuh 2, we're also here to confront Rachel about what she's hiding from us", Nigel sternly replied.

"But how are we gonna' do that if we don't have anything to bribe her with", Wally asked.

"Actually we have that all figured out...right Numbuh 5", the British boy replied as her smirked at his black friend, causing her to return a small smirk of her own.

" Sure do Boss", Abigail replied in a devious tone. "Kuki?"

"Numbuh 5's Speciality Home-made Rainbow Cookies, available in six variety colours", Kuki happily chirped as she pulled up a tray of perfect, colourful, delicious looking cookies up on a silver platter, as if she were the hostess of a cooking show.

"You're gonna' bribe her with cookies", the short Australian asked in a rather confused manner.

"Well why not? You remember what happened when Numbuh 5 brought a couple of trays of these ta' last year's Christmas party; the girl couldn't resist them", the spunky African American replied as she chuckled at the memory.

"Neither can I", the plump boy replied as he hungrily reached for the plate.

"I'm with you on that one big boy", Alex gleefully replied as she dove for one as well, only to have their hands swatted by Abigails signature red baseball hat.

"Hey!...What did I tell you two about eatin' those cookies", she asked her two friends in a very stern tone, the kind a mother would use when scolding her children.

"We're not suppose to eat them until Rachel's had one", the two friends said in unison, a tone of guilt running through their voices as they did so.

"That's what I thought", the braided beauty replied as she placed her hat back on her head, pleased with herself as a small smile surfaced onto her beautiful face.

"Sector V", said a voice that startled the six friends. Upon looking up to see that the voice belonged to Patton however, they all stared in confusion at their friend as he stopped to face them, determination was clear in both his eyes and on his face.

"Numbuh 60" Nigel replied in slight bewilderment.  
"Hello Freezer Boy", Alex replied in her usual snarly tone, showing her clear dislike of the boy.

"There's no time for that, I need your help", Patton replied in a determined tone.

" What is it that you need our help with", the bald boy asked in a somewhat suspicious tone as he continued to stare at his acquaintance.

"Because if I don't get any help, then Rachel might be in serious danger", he replied in a now very determined tone, one which caused the rest of Sector V to stare in both confusion, and worry.

...  
The sound of clattery shoes was all that the six members of Sector V could hear vibrate throughout the halls as they ran towards their friend's office, Patton leading the way as they all continued to determine just what was going on, annoyed that the raven haired boy was keeping them in the dark.  
"Numbuh 60, what is going on", Nigel asked in a rather annoyed tone.

"To quote Rachel; you have to see it in order to believe it", Patton replied in a determined tone.

"What the crud is that suppose to mean", Wally asked in an angered tone.

"Just trust me", the young Drill Sergeant angrily replied as he ran into his superior's office, the six friends following him in pursuit.

"Numbuh 60, you had better tell us what's going on before-" the British bald boy began in a stern yet annoyed tone, only to cut himself off as his words became replaced by a high pitch scream.

"What wrong Numbuh 1", Hoagie asked in a concerned tone as he entered the room, only to emit a high pitched scream himself. His scream began a chain reaction followed by Kuki, then Wally, then Abigail, and finally Alex, who immediately complained about her sore throat immediately afterwards.

"Wha...Wha...What happened to her arm", the geeky pilot asked in a rather freighted tone.

"Take a good guess", Patton replied in a deeply angered tone. As he predicted, it didn't take long for the six friends to determine the meaning of his words, for they now all had rather dark looks plastered onto their faces.

"Grandfather", the original five friends replied in a deeply angered yet hate filled tones.

"The Demon Bastard", Alex replied in a stuffy tone, her tone as anger and hate filled as the rest of her teammates were. It was then that a small moment of silence occurred between the seven friends, one which ended only as Nigel opened his mouth to speak.

"So...Grandfather's back...I guess that means he escaped and is responsible for coming to Rachel and doing this to her", the determined leader replied in a low yet stern sounding tone.

"He didn't escape...he came to her in her dreams", Patton replied.

"How do you know that", the braided beauty asked in a suspicious tone.

" Rachel told me all about it", the young boy calmly explained. "She told me that he came to her while she was dreaming, telling her that he wanted her to be his catalyst for his plans. She refused and that them to duel. When she lost, he engraved his symbol into her hand, and she woke up to find it transformed. I later witnessed her arm transform yesterday, but...I haven't talked to her since then, so I don't know anything else other than what I just told you."

" So that explains why she was lying to us yesterday", the bald boy replied in fascination as he cupped his chin in his own hand.

"That would also explain the Pure Black Aura I felt yesterday", the mutant brunette calmly observed s she mimicked her leader's actions, only for her words to make her black friend grow suspicious.

" What do you mean", Abigail asked.

"Well you see, when we were visiting Rachel-san yesterday, I could have sworn I saw a Pure Black Aura emitting from her bandaged arms", the curly hair girl explained in a rather stuffed up tone.

"And you didn't tell us this because", Nigel asked in a rather suspicious tone, one which caused guilt to surge through his mutant friend's body.

"Ehehehehe...Do I even need to say why", Alex asked as she hung her head in both shame and embarrassment.

"Oh, poor Numbuh 362...eww! Her hands are so dry and wrinkly! She needs some moisturizer", the little Asian girl said in a mixed tone of chipper, concern, and sassy as she pulled out her Rainbow Monkey shaped hand lotion.

" I wouldn't do that if I were you Numbuh 3", Patton replied in a stern yet low sounding tone.

"Well why not, she clearly needs it", the cute Asian girl replied in a somewhat sassy tone.

" Because unlike you, I'd rather follow instructions", he replied as he held up the note for his Asian acquaintance to see.

" Let me see that note Numbuh 60", Nigel sternly said, causing Patton to give him the note as he began to attentively look over its content.

"What does it say Numbuh 1", Hoagie asked in a curious tone as his leader and friend sternly look up from the note to face them.

" It says that she's gone into her mind to stop Grandfather, and that no one is to awaken her", he sternly explained.

" Yeah, pretty much typical Rachel; she doesn't want anyone else to get involved in this feud", the young Drill Sergeant calmly replied.

"Well then let's let her battle Grandfather on her own, but just send someone ta' keep an eye on her", Abigail replied in a stern yet somewhat optimistic tone, suggestion causing her Sector leader to light up in enthusiasm.

"That's not a bad idea", the British bald boy replied, a reply which caused a cocky smirk to form on Patton's face.

"Well then in that case, I'll-"

"I'll go in, seeings as how I have a connection with that arrogant asshole", the mutant girl replied in a stuffed yet stern tone, causing the rest of her Sector to nod in stern agreement. "Although given how sick I am, I should probably take someone else in with me...just for extra back-up..."

" Who are ye' thinking about sending in though" the short Australian boy asked in deep confusion, only to feel his confusion heighten upon seeing the eyes of his team light up in devious glances. "Wait...Why are you guys looking at me like that?...What did I-...Wait...You're thinking about sending-...No fair! Why should I have to go in?"

"Because you're gullible, and expendable", the plump pilot happily replied as he put his hand on his short friend's shoulder.

"That he is baby", the spunky African American replied in a spunky tone as she laughed full-heartedly at the situation, causing the short Australian blonde to panic at the mere mention of their words.

" What", Wally replied in a tone of clear panic.

"She's joking Numbuh 4, what we mean to say is that is that it makes more sense for you to go in with Two-Seventy-Three; physically, you're are one of the strongest operatives in the Kids Next Door, making you a match for any sort of sticky situation you might find yourselves in", Nigel calmly explained to his friend.

"Yeah, but wouldn't it make more sense for you to go in? He's your grandpa", he replied in a somewhat angered tone, determined to refuse the order of being sent into his leader's mind.

"Oh believe me Numbuh4, I'd love to go in there myself. But this is Rachel's fight, we need to be there only for assistance, not to save the day due to our own personal feelings towards Grandfather", the British bald boy calmly explained to his short friend. It was at this point that Wally could not help but sigh in defeat; he really didn't want to go in there, and yet it had been made clear to him why he had to; he was the only one who could withstand anything thrown at him.

"Alright...I'll go in", he replied in a tone of clear disappointment, trying his best to accept his order.

"That's the spirit Wally", Kuki happily replied as he patted the blonde boy on the back with her oversized green sleeve, causing him to smile. Unfortunately though, this little scene did not fill Patton with warmth. Instead, it filled him with deep anger towards the situation as he opened his mouth to speak.

"Now wait just a minute. Why should they get to go in", Patton angrily asked.

"Oh please Freezer Boy, you wouldn't be as useful as the two of us would be in battle", the mutant girl replied in a somewhat arrogant tone, causing the young boy's blood to boil in deep anger.

"I'm the one who found out and I'm the one who cares most about her well being! I should be allowed to go in", he replied in a rather fierce tone of anger.

" Oh, and so your bravery and feelings merit you over capability now? You really think that you can stand up to Grandfather with just raw determination", she asked him in a rather stern tone, ensuring her status of a living mood ring. She had made a decent point she thought to herself, but obviously one that fell on deaf ears from her mild acquaintance as she watched anger dance in both his gentle black eyes, and on his handsome face.

"Listen you little-"

" Alright, break it up you two", Abigail replied as she came in between the two acquaintances, only managing to somewhat intimidate the stern Drill Sergeant with her stern yet angered composure.

"Now Numbuh 60, I know she's got a sassy mouth, but Alex does have a point", she sternly replied as Patton continued to stern stare at his fellow female operative. "Sendin' her in there is our best option."

"Don't feed me that crap when you're sending Numbuh 4 in with her", he angrily replied.

"See previous conversation for more details", Alex replied in a rather sassy tone, one which only deepened the young boy's anger.

" Can it mutant girl", he angrily replied.

"Why don't you shut up and listen fo' once", Abigail angrily replied as she kept her stern composure, startling the young Drill Sergeant in the process.

"First of all, Alex can cover fo' Wally if he needs it. Second, she has a telepathic link with Grandfather's mind, makin' it easier for us to track him down. Third, not only is she immune to Grandfather's Reality Warpin' powers, but she's also just as powerful as him. And fourth, she cares about Rachel just like you do", the spunky African American replied in a stern tone, continuing to stand her ground as Patton continued to stare at her in both shock and amazement, the mutant brunette reflecting his very actions.

"Abby-sama", the mutant girl said with dreamy fan-girlish glee as she clasped her hands together, delighted by her friends strong will, as well as her no-nonsense way of standing up for others to other people. Unfortunately, this did not sit well with Patton. For despite knowing that his fellow operative was in fact right, it still was not enough to convince him otherwise as he continued to clench his fists together.

" I don't care, I have to go in", the raven haired boy replied in a determined tone.

"We understand Numbuh 60, but you need to realize that she's not just your responsibility, she's all of our responsibility", Nigel replied in an angered tone, signifying that he was now rather fed up with his fellow operatives relentlessness.

"I understand that! But even so, I have to go in by myself!...I refuse for Rachel to fall into his hands again!...Especially...after that dream I had", Patton replied as his words drew to a quiet close, sorrow clear on his face as he did so.

"Dream", Abigail said in a somewhat confused tone, one which only prompted silence from the young boy. Or at least until he gave into his urge to speak and opened his mouth.

" This morning...I woke up from a nightmare...I dreamed that I was fighting off Citizombies, trying to get to Rachel...But by the time I got there...It was too late...She had already become his to own...I don't know if that means anything...But that dream only made it more clear that I have to try and protect her...It's my fault that Rachel became a Citizombie the first time...And I refuse to let Grandfather turn her in a thoughtless evil hag...Not again...", the young boy explained, sorrow and determination running through his words as he though of the one he cared for so deeply, determined to protect her from the forces of solitude. At the same time, his words could not help but evoke sympathy from his fellow operatives as they became touched by his words.

"And yo' efforts are noble Patton", Abigail replied in a softer tone as she rested her hand on his shoulder, bringing surprise to the young boy. "But ya' don't have any power of yo' own, and ya' can't just survive on determination. And even if you could, how long can ya' possibly resist his power? Suppose if he put you under his control and used you to his advantage, how do ya' think Rachel would feel", she asked in a calm yet stern tone, one which caused realization to surface on the young boy's face.

" Besides, last I checked...this was her fight...", she replied in a unusually gentle tone. It was only then did Patton allow her words to reach him, for the spunky black girl was indeed correct; this was Rachel's battle. And as much as he wished to rebel against her wishes, he realized that no such thing was possible. She had asked him to make a promise to her, a promise he could not break but grudgingly accept, only for his beloved friend.

" Very well then...I won't go in", he replied in a low yet somewhat angered tone, his words doing nothing more than to surprise the six friends.

"What? But you were so determined to go in a few minutes ago", Hoagie replied in a rather shocked and exasperated tone.

" I know...but I remembered that Rachel made me promise that I'd let her hand;e this on her own...And as much as I don't want to...I can't break that promise...Instead, I need to believe in her like I always have...I need to believe in the strong, smart, kind, passionate and flawed Rachel...the one that I care about...will be alright", the young Drill Sergeant replied in a low yet stern sounding tone, afire of determination clearly carved into his handsome face as he did so.

"Oh we know why ya' have to...lover boy", Abigail replied in a teasing tone, one which caused a streak of snickers to appear from the rest of her group.

" What?...no", an embarrassed Patton replied as a deep red blush covered his face, feeling awkward that his acquaintances were teasing him about him having not covered up his deeper feelings for his lovely young friend better. But as his embarrassment continued to deepen as the snickering continued on, the young boy felt a hand rest itself upon his shoulder. Surprised by this, the young boy looked up to find that the hand belonged to a happy looking Nigel.

"Patton...", he began.

" Oh please, spare me the jokes", the young boy replied.

"Actually, I just wanted to say that I'm glad to see you back on the sane side of things", the British boy replied as he stuck out his hand towards his acquaintance, his words bringing a small smile to the young Drill Sergeant's face.

"Thanks", Patton softly replied as he shook his acquaintances hand with his gloved one.

"Say Numbuh 1, I just thought of something", Kuki softly said.

" Does it have to do with me", Wally asked in a delighted tone, praying that perhaps his Asian friend might object to him going in with their mutant friend.

"Well of course not silly, you're going in with Two Seventy Three", she happily chirped, causing her blonde friend to cringe in disappointment. "But I was thinking, if Numbuh 362 is asleep and we're all in here, then who's going to watch Global Command?"

Upon her asking that innocent question, the room became dead silent as the six friends and their alley stood there with blank expression on their faces, uncertain of how to respond or what to do.

...  
A clam, peaceful presence swept over the normally fierce and feisty Fanny Fulbright, or Numbuh 86 as she lay in her bed, nuzzled up with the "Get Better Soon" Rainbow Monkey (one of the many that inhabited her Rainbow Monkey infested room) as she lye awake in a peaceful rest. True she wasn't a restful sleeper, but even with that in mind she found in so amazing just what taking a few days off of work due to illness could be as she lye on her Rainbow Monkey shaped bed, happy and content as a small smile lay carved on her freckled face. Or at least she would feel fully content if it weren't for her communicator hadn't gone off nearly seconds ago.

"You have one video message...from a desperate Sector V", the communicator replied in a monotone voice, alerting her to what to expect from her message. On the first flicker, she refused to answer, trying to get back to sleep as best she could. But upon hearing her communicator flicker at least three more times, rage came over the Irish redhead as grabbed the small compact and opened it up, only for her enraged face to feet the smiling faces of Hoagie, Kuki and Alex.

"This had better be good Sector V! Do you have any idea how tired I am", Fanny screeched at the monitor, rubbing her throat in soreness immediately afterwards.

"Well at least you got some sleep, try staying up all night tinkering tediously after your latest invention just so you can be sure it gets approval from your Sector leader", Hoagie replied in a somewhat ranting manner.

"More to the point...Nihow 86-chan", Alex cutely chirped as her Fanny cringed at that ever hated nickname.

"Hi 86-chan", Kuki happily chirped as she waved at her friend, shocking the Irish redhead in the process.

"86-chan", she replied in utter disbelief as she pointed towards the little Asian girl. "Now you've got her saying it?"

"Well of course not! I just started to really like the name, I mean; you don't want to be called Fanny, and Numbuh 86 isn't cute, so 86-chan must be cute", the black haired girl happily chirped.

"It's not cute", the freckled girl fiercely replied through the monitor screen, stopping once again to rub her now sore throat. "More to the point the point, what's your reason for callin' me up on such short notice?"

"Well maybe if you'd act nice for once in your life, me might tell you. And don't scream so much, it's going to take you longer to get better if you do", Alex replied in a mixed tone of sass and concern.

"As if that's ever gonna' happen", the Irish redhead arrogantly replied. "Besides, if you knew I was sick, then what makes ye' think I'd actually lift a finger te' help ye'?"

" Because it's your job! Besides, I'm still functioning and I'm just as stuffed up as you are", the mutant brunette replied.

"Yeah, but you're just too stubborn to stay in bed and get some rest, and that's even without your powers goin' haywire. You're even lucky you've got enough strength to stand up straight; I feel like someone sucked out me life force, and I can't yell at anyone", she complained as her voice became somewhat whiny. Watching this small conversation however made Abigail feel somewhat uncomfortable; uncomfortable that they were wasting precious time bantering. Deciding that no more time should be wasted, the spunky black girl crossed her arms together as she opened her mouth to speak.

"Actually Numbuh 86, what we've been tryin' ta' say is that we called to ask a favour of ya'", the braided beauty calmly remarked.

"What kind of favour", Fanny asked in a somewhat suspicious tone, uncertain of what they desired from her.

"Well let's just say it has to do with an organization, a Moon Base that needs watching, and the right commanding officer to do the job", Hoagie replied in a flirty detective tone as he leaned on the monitor desk, a flirtatious smirk clear on his goggle hidden face as he did so.  
"Please 86-chan", Kuki and Alex asked in a cute tone of unison, holding their hands up in a pleading position as they did so.

"Hmm, let me think...uh...NO", she screeched at the monitor, causing the three friends to cower before her in slight fear.

"Why should I help you losers out anyways? You're situation's probably not even that serious! What did you do, loose your Rainbow Munchies cereal? Give me a break!", Fanny screeched as she continued to talk in her usual shrill, arrogant tone. But while the six members of Sector V stood there with anger building up inside of them, Patton felt himself become consumed by his anger as he stared at the redheaded girl on the monitor screen, angered by her arrogant words and behaviour. Not able to take much more of this, the young Drill Sergeant made his way over towards the monitor desk and slammed his gloved hands down onto the keyboard, silence the banshee at once.

"Listen you stuck up bitch, you better get your lazy ass down her right now! Otherwise, Rachel might be in serious danger", Patton replied as deep anger seeped through his voice as he watched the Irish redhead's facial expression transform into shock upon being called a bitch, only to see it change again upon hearing his last few words.

"What do you mean", she asked in a genuinely confused tone.

"See for yourself", he angrily replied as he pointed towards his sleeping Supreme Leader. It was then shock that came to the Irish girl's face as she stared in horror at her friend's condition. Her hand, her unsettled eyes, the desaturated colour of her bright orange sweater, they frightened her dearly. And of they should, considering what an important person Rachel is to the young Irish girl.

"Wha...Wha...What happened?", she asked in a tone of genuine fright.

"There's not time to explain Numbuh 86, all we need you to do for the time being is come to Global Command and watch over the Kids next Door for awhile", Nigel sternly responded, a response that only hindered a stern and serious

expression to mount itself upon the Irish girl's freckled face.

"Very well then...Just give me some time to get dressed and I'll be over there within the hour...Numbuh 86, out", Fanny sternly replied as the screen went blank seconds later.

"Now with that out of the way, I think it's about time you and Numbuh 4 went into Rachel's mind Two-Seventy-Three", the British bald boy sternly stated as he turned towards his curly haired friend and blonde haired friend, both staring at him with stern looks upon their faces.

"Hai", the mutant brunette sternly replied, all the while uttering the Japanese word for "yes" as she and Wally walked over towards their sleeping friend and commander.

"Wait! Before you guys head in, there's something I wanted to give to both of you", Hoagie replied in an enthusiastic tone as he reached into his small backpack of 2x4 goods to pull out two small, odd ear shaped devices. "Say hello to the-"

...  
Kids next Door E.A.R.L.O.B.B.

Ear Artillery Receptor device Links Opinions and thoughts to Basic Brain wave receiver

Moments after, the plump pilot began to attach the odd devices to the ear of his two friends, leaving them in utter confusion as he backed away from them.

"So I'm assuming that this sort of works like a cellular cellphone Hoagie-kun", Alex calmly asked.

"Sort of; basically how this works is that any thoughts or words you want to say or think will be transferred through the EARLOBBs, then they'll come out through the Brain Wave Receiver for us to hear. That way, you guys can tell us about any readings, comments, findings, or awesome jokes you want us to hear", he explained in his usual enthusiastic tone.

"I see...Alright then, let's go Wallabee-kun", the mutant brunette replied in a chipper tone as she held out her hand to the short Australian, a sight which caused him to cringe in pure disgust.

"No way!...If there's one thing you're not going te' get me te' do, it's hold your hand", Wally replied in relentless tone, one which only caused the young mutant to fume in annoyance.

"Just give me your hand", Alex replied in an annoyed tone as she forcefully grabbed her friends hand, much to his dismay. Immediately following this, the young girl had a calming look on her face as she proceeded to place her slender fingers on her friend and leader's soft forehead. "Now Wallabee-kun...just relax and let your mind go blank..."

"That shouldn't be too hard fo' him", Abigail quietly whispered to Nigel and Kuki as they began to giggle at her comment, much to Wally's dismay.

Soon afterwords though, a light yet warm welcoming glow surrounded the mutant girl and her Australian friend as they relaxed their minds, beginning to make their way into the dream realm belonging to the blonde female they called both leader and friend. As they proceeded to their destination, the rest of their team stood there, worried expressions clear upon their faces as they watched in silence. What their friends were find they weren't sure of, all they knew was that they could still hope that their friends make it out of the cruel tyrant's clutches unharmed. Of them all however, Patton could not help but be the most worried of the bunch as he overlooked his beloved Rachel, fearing not only for her safety and freedom, but also the safety and freedom of his two good acquaintances as he struggled to believe in his beloved friend with every passing second.

End chap. 7


	8. Chapter 8

Hello everyone, and welcome to chapter eight. Before we begin, there are a few notes I would like to discuss.

1. I have actually drawn a picture of Rachel in her victorian dress, it and this chapter was actually one of teh reasons I wanted to write this story. You can view it on my deviantart page by looking up this particular chapter on my deviantart account.

2. If Grandfather seems to coem off as a pedophile in any way during this chapter, PLEASE let me know.

And as always, read, review, and enjoy!

The Demon Master's Puppet

Chapter 8: Victorian Tea Party

All seemed perfectly quiet, an advantage that seemed too good for Rachel as she continued to gracefully run and move in and out of small hiding spots, continuing her search for the man known as Grandfather. And yet as she made a medium sized boulder her current hiding spot, the young girl could not help but feel sorrow fill her body and embroider her beautiful face as she gazed upon the sight of her dream realm. It was now a desolate, lifeless place with no vegetation or welcoming feeling, the perfect environment for a menace like her formidable opponent. Despite the feeling of sorrow running throughout her body, the young blonde could not help but sit there, disgusted by the mockery he had made of her idealistic realm, determined to return it to its former glory as she looked up at the polluted green sky. The problem though lay not in her determination to defeat the black bearded man, but rather the fact that his location seemed almost impossible to find, something that was beginning to become a thorn in her side.

" This is no good; I've been running around in here for almost twenty minutes and I still haven't found his location...But I can't give up now, so let's just think about this for a moment...if I was a villain with immense power and capabilities...where would I hide", Rachel thought to herself in a calm yet calculative manner as she cupped her chin in her gloved hand, believing that with enough logical thought that she would be able to predict her enemy's whereabouts. She got her answer however upon turning around, surprise and wonder filled her body and grazed her face as she stood to face a well detailed, grand, Victorian styled manor. It was only afterwards that the the young girl let out a small sigh of annoyance, and one for a good reason; she should have expected this.

Gracefully running over towards the side of the manor, the young blonde then proceeded to use her staff as a pole vault, catapulting herself into the air and back-flipping herself through the open window. Now with stern determination written on her face, the warrior like girl began to quietly inch her way towards the dimly lit room, assuming that Grandfather would be inhabiting that room. And yet as she inched her way towards the room, Rachel could not help but feel a tinge of suspicion overtake her; it had seemed all too easy for her. She had come across no Citizombies, no guards grazed the doors, and it seemed odd that only one window would be opened. The indication of her suspicion could only mean one thing as she began to peer into the dimly lit room; he had been expecting her.

"Welcome my dear", replied the deep tenor toned voice that belonged to Grandfather, his polite tone only causing a sense of stern determination to fill up inside of the young blonde. But as she turned to enter the room, she could not hep but feel shock and wonderment overtake hr once more. The yellow eyed demon himself sat in Victorian styled chair in front of a small but decorated dining table. Windows and pictures of the Uno family grazed the crimson painted walls, and a small fire place lay on the right side of the room, one which perfectly complimented the grey carpet Rachel observed.

"I assume you came in through the window", he politely asked as he placed his chin on top of his folded hands in keen amusement and observation, one which snapped the young girl out of her dazed state of mind and returned her to her stern and authoritative composure,

"Of course, whether you were expecting me or not, an espionage always takes advantage of the safest route they can find, mission or otherwise", she calmly replied, her response causing Grandfather to chuckle in the process.

"Yes, I am aware", the satanic man replied in a calm yet polite manner as a moment of silence encased the room, one which was only broken as the young blonde opened her mouth to speak.

"So...what exactly is all this", Rachel asked in a rather observant tone, still feeling somewhat weirded out by how beautiful the room was.  
" Well as much as I enjoy torturing you, I decided that if you are going to try your pathetic hand at defeating me that I should give you a more sophisticated battle between the two of us. And what better way to commence this battle than to expose you to the more sophisticated aspects of my lifestyle", Grandfather stated in calculative yet polite manner as he floated over towards his young opponent, all the while motioning his hand over towards the Victorian table.

"How...curtious of you...", the young girl replied, a tinge of weirdness continued to consume her as she stared at the satanic demon, surprised at all of the trouble he had gone to in order to make her feel comfortable as he continued to smirk at her in arrogance.

"I had a feeling you might say that...Although...your dull attire could use some work", he replied in his usual arrogant tone as he wrapped his old hand around her left shoulder. But upon removing his hand, the young girl felt panic as the slimy green glow began to consume her body. Fearing for the worst, Rachel tried to shake her armour off of her body as the green slime slowly consumed her body. Once it was finished however, the young blonde became surprised find what adorned her slender body in place of her aquamarine jumpsuit and samurai armour. She wore a beautiful layered Victorian dressed coloured crimson, with white cufflinks covering her slender wrists. Towards the bottom of the layers her dress adorned a beautiful purple flower bouquet, and the waistline was perfectly completed with golden trimming. A beautiful ruby pendant lay on her chest and held her sash, and a small pair of purple roses grazed her lovely golden blonde locks.

"Well I must say, you look ravishing in crimson", the elderly demon replied in a satisfactory tone as he crossed his arms in admiration at his handiwork. Noticing that she was still rather confused by what he had just done, Grandfather quickly snapped his fingers, forming a mirror from behind the young girl. And as she turned around, all Rachel could do was stare in awe and wonder.

"It's an authentic...Victorian dress...", she quietly replied in a tone of wonder, dazed by just how beautiful she truly looked in such a fine dress. So much so that she couldn't take her eyes off of herself, she had never been a superficial girl.

"Only the finest will my powers produce...I take it your pleased with the results", he asked in a sophisticated yet arrogant tone, motioning his hand in a flexible sense as he first opened his mouth, only to become crossed armed soon afterwards.

" I am...but I have one question", she replied as she turned around to face him once more. "Why dress me up like this?"

" Because as much as I hate to play fair, I figured I might as well humour you and even the playing field. After all, you are more practical like a Lion than you are swift like a hawk. But given that I now have complete control over your dream realm, I figured it would only be fair that we play a little bit by my rules", Grandfather explained to the her as she continued to stare at him in stern composure. It was only then that the young girl noticed her staff and backpack were at the side of the door. Despite knowing this fact however, it still didn't make her feel any less comfortable than she already was as she opened her mouth to speak once more.

" I can't leave here...can I...", Rachel asked in a stern yet calm tone.

"Oh no my dear, that would be rude...Besides...the door is impervious to brats like you...And believe me, I have made certain of that", the elderly demon replied as he waved his finger in front of her face, placing his one hand on his hip as he gave her an evil sneer.

"Now then, shall we begin...my pretty...", he asked in a polite yet arrogant sounding tone as e motioned for her to sit down in one of the chairs. Despite feeling rather uncomfortable at this point, the young felt as though there were nothing else she could do; she would have to go along with this old man's little scheme if she were to survive.  
"Alright then...I'll go along with your little game...", the young blonde replied in a stern yet cold sounding tone as she went to sit down, bringing an evil smile to the old man's face as she did so.

...  
Elsewhere in this now desolate dreamland, a bright pink light began to form itself, attempting to brighten this toxic wasteland. Surprisingly though, the light began to form itself into the familiar slender build of Alex, who continued to float in midair upon transforming, her hands in praying stance as she began to slowly open her brightly lit pink eyes, allowing them to revert to their natural brown colour. Upon opening her eyes, a wide smile formed on the mutant brunette's cute face as she came to find herself in her place of destination.

"Testing, testing. Can you hear me?", Alex asked as she began to talk into the EARLOBB.

"Yeah Two-Seventy-Three, I can hear you. But this isn't the time to be playing block captain", Kuki replied.

" She's not playing Block Captain Numbuh 3, she's just testing Numbuh 2's new device to make sure it's working", Nigel replied in a stern yet somewhat annoyed tone.

" Oh", the little Asian girl replied.

" Yeah, but at least she got in okay", Abigail replied in a generally calm tone.

" Pretty much, but...where's Wallabee-kun", she asked in confusion. Upon asking her question however, a small orb of yellow light began to form itself in this desolate dreamland, forming itself into Wally as he fell to the ground with a great thud.

" Hey Numbuh 4, are you okay", Hoagie asked in a somewhat concerned tone as the short Australian boy began to sit himself up, feeling his sore, aching shoulder as he did.

" Yeah, I'm okay mate. I just had a rough landing is all", Wally replied, doing his best to keep a macho sounding quality in his voice as he brought himself up to his feet. "Say, where's Two-Seventy-Three?"

"Yo", said a familiar female voice which surprised him, for at least he did until he looked up to see Alex waving at him from above ground, the sight of her floating causing slight anger and disappointment to boil up inside of him.

"Ah, no fair. How come you get to use your powers here", he asked in a tone of obvious anger and disappointment.

" Because dreams don't descend a person's personal abilities, only increase them.. Although in your case, intelligence never really counted as an ability", she arrogantly replied.

" Don't get too cocky mutant girl. It's like you said, this is a dream; I could probably be as powerful as you if I wanted to", the Australian blonde cockily replied as he crossed his arms, a cocky grin present on his face as he did so.

"Hehe, I'd like to see you try", Alex replied in a cocky tone.

"That's enough you two", Nigel sternly replied, his tone returning them to their place as he spoke. "Don't forget about your mission."

"Oh relax Nigel-kun. We haven't forgotten", she replied nonchalantly as she waved her hand in a dismissal stance. " Besides, I can already sense that bastard's presence close by."

"How do you even know it's his presence", Wally asked in a tone of obvious disbelief.

"Oh, I don't know; intuition, telepathic connection, the fact that there's a giant Victorian house in the middle of nowhere", the mutant brunette replied rather bluntly as she pointed over towards the Victorian styled house, shocking her short friend in the process.

"Oh...eh...right", he replied in an embarrassed tone.

"Okay guys, now that we know you got in safely, you know what to do" , Hoagie replied.

"Right", the two friends replied in unison. And with that, Alex began to fly her way towards the mansion while Wally began to run, feeling like a free spirit as he did. But unfortunately for hi, the spirit he felt was cut down in its prime as he became shocked to find himself floating off of the ground. Despite the shock he felt, it quickly transformed into budding anger upon turning around to see Alex carrying him in her slender arms.

" Hey, what's the big idea? I can get there by myself, you know", Wally replied in an annoyed tone.

"I know, but that mansion's about 100 yards away. And at the rate you're going, you'll never get there on foot", she replied as she made her point, a point which Wally did not want to admit was correct.

"Oh alright", he replied in a tone of slight annoyance, accepting his friend's offer of help as they flew over towards the prestigious Victorian manor. Sensing Grandfather's presence coming from the second floor middle window, the mutant brunette quickly flew herself and Wally towards the window, perching herself and the short blonde boy on the window sill as they began to peer into the room, a feeling of weirdness overtaking them as they watched what they saw.

"This is Numbuh1 to Numbuhs 4 and 273, have you had had any luck at finding Numbuh 362 and Grandfather yet", Nigel sternly asked.

"Numbuh 4 te' Numbuh1, we found them alright", Wally replied in a nervous tone.

"Well what are they doin'", Abigail asked.

" Well, that's the thing...they're just sittin' down and having tea", he replied.

"Having tea", the four members of Sector V and Patton said in simultaneous confusion.

"Why would Grandfather treat her to...It must be some kind of trap", Nigel sternly said as he came to his conclusion.

" I don't know if it's a trap or not, but I want to know who Rachel-san's tailor is, I LOVE that Victorian dress she's got on", Alex replied in an excited tone, one which cause Wally to sigh in utter annoyance.

"Victorian! Is it authentic", Kuki asked in an excited tone.

"Oh, totally! It's a beautiful crimson colour, and it's got frills and flowers and cufflinks", the mutant brunette replied in an excited tone as she continued to explain to her Asian friend the dress's appearance in explicit detail. As she continued on though, Patton could not help but feel his cheeks flush red as he heard the dress's description, beginning to imagine Rachel in such an extravagant dress as he lost himself in innocent fantasy, too much to notice that Abigail and Hoagie were snickering at his dazed expression.

"Ooh, she's so lucky that such a big meanie has good taste in woman's clothing", the little Asian girl chirped in both happiness, and somewhat envy. It was around this time however that Patton realized just what a fool he was behaving like as he ran over towards the Brain Wave Receiver, feeling himself becoming angered by his mild acquaintances gushing.

"That's enough Two-Seventy-Three! You're there to do a job, not make fashion comments! Now start acting like it", Patton yelled at her in an angry tone, clearly fed up with her behaviour towards the whole situation.

"Oh cool your jets Freezer Boy, I'm doing my job...I just don't see anything wrong with having some fun on the work station", she replied a generally casual, ignoring the young Drill Sergeant's stern ranting and raving as she and Wally continued to look through the framed glass window.

A deathly silence swept over the beautifully dressed room as Rachel sat at the table, her hands resting gracefully in her lap as her enemy continued to stare at her in evil intent. And wouldn't, what with the unexpected polite entry from such a villain. It was this thought, even more so than he fear of the man who sat across the table from her that made the young girl nervous. This obvious thought played out on her face however, did not go unnoticed by the elderly villain as he reached for the tea pot.

"You seem rather nervous my dear", Grandfather said as he began to pour himself a cup of tea.

"Well...I am...It's not often I interact in this type of environment with a villain, especially one of your calibre", Rachel calmly explained.

"But in spite of that, you are pleased with my presentation", the elderly man asked as he continued to sneer at her, pouring the last bit of tea into his cup as he did so.

"I am actually. Despite knowing what kind of person you are, I must admit; the scenery is exquisite, and the tea and biscuits look delicious. And for that, I thank you", the young girl politely replied as she sweetly smiled at him.

"Well while I am quite monstrous in nature, at heart I cannot help but also be an English Gentleman", he calmly replied, clearly amused with the young girl, something she noticed.

" I understand...Now, will you please pass me the tea", she politely asked as he lent the tea pot to her, beginning to pour her cup with tea as she did.

"I must say, you are quite skilled in table manners...Your parents must have raised you well...or perhaps they would have raised you well...if they were around more often", he replied in a sinister tone, one which caused Rachel to freeze in both shock, and unexpectedness that he had knowledge of her past.

"How did you-"

"I went trotting through your little mind earlier to pass the time. And I must say, your tragic little memories truly describe what a pathetic wretch you really are", the satanic demon replied with a hearty evil laugh, angering the young girl as she poured the last bit of tea into her cup. "Although, as "heart wrenching" as your memories were, I must admit that I found some of them to be rather amusing, such your loving affection for that little fool", the satanic demon replied in a sinister tone, one which caused Rachel to blush in pure embarrassment at the thought f him even knowing her true love.

"Quite the odd choice for you I must admit, I never realized you had such a soft spot for such a stupid, irresponsible loser", he replied as he laughed in deep yet evil amusement, deeply angering the young blonde with his words; no one insults her secretly beloved and gets away with it.

" He may be impulsive and irresponsible, but he's also filled with such compassion and kindness, unlike you", Rachel replied in a stern yet cold sounding tone as she gracefully sat herself down again, beginning to drink her tea soon afterwards. Upon taking a sip however, she could not help but gaga at the bitter taste of this small drink. "What is this?"

"It's Peppermint tea", Grandfather replied rather nonchalantly.

"But it's so bitter", she replied in a somewhat whiny tone.

"But of course, that extra dash cinnamon in the tea brings its true bitter taste", he replied in a somewhat cocky tone as he took a sip of his tea, only for Rachel to gag once more without him looking before she regained her stern composure.

"Very well then, would you please pass me the biscuits", she asked as he handed her the small plate of cookies.

"You know, you can refer to them as cookies if you like", he replied rather nonchalantly.

"I know, but for the sake of argument, I'd prefer to call them biscuits for now", the young girl calmly replied as she gently placed a few cookies on her china plate.

"I see...Well, now that you are comfortable, let's begin discussing...my negotiations...", he finished in a sinister tone, one that did nothing for the young girl as she sat there, her beautiful eyes closed as she took a small bite from one of her "biscuits".

"You can try all you want, but nothing you say or do will ever convince me that your way of life is worth living", Rachel calmly replied as she took another bite of her "biscuit".

"Oh, I doubt that my dear", the satanic demon replied in a sinister tone as he laced his fingers together in evil delight.  
"Now, I have been doing some thinking; it seems wrong that I would dispose of you as another worker for me once you've outlived your usefulness. You are much too agile and intelligent for me to drop you as an asset ... Besides...manual labour does not seem to suit you...you seem more capable when in a position of power and enlightenment...And after some thinking...I as evil King have decided to make you my Grand Vizier...What do you say...?"

" Pass", the young girl replied as her eyes remained closed, taking another bite into her "biscuit" as she did.

"Oh come now, you would control over all of my decisions, reign power over my Citizombies, and unlike your job as Supreme Leader, it would be a much more...peaceful position...", the satanic demon sinisterly replied as he continued to try and butter her up.

" Perhaps...But I pass", she calmly replied.

"Ah...so naive, you're just not looking at-"

"Let me ask you something", Rachel calmly replied, cutting him off as she did so. "What makes you think I would ever surcome to your way of thinking", she asked, the stern tone on both her face and in her voice brought nothing more than an evil smile to the old man's face.

"Because time is running out for you my dear", he replied in a genuinely sinister, almost scary tone. "Once the curse begins to take affect of your mental state of mind, you will begin to see the world from mt perspective."

" If that's how it works, then I will continue to resist", she replied in a calm yet stern tone.

"But why resist something so natural", he asked in a somewhat polite manner.

"Because I refuse for your ideals to become my own", she replied in a more angered tone as she sat herself up from the table, a look of deep anger lay clearly lit in her beautiful eyes as she stared at the sneering man she feared greatly.

" There you go again, remaining loyal to your naive ideals of "freedom" and "justice" ", Grandfather replied in a somewhat annoyed tone.

"Of course I am. How can you just sit there and sneer like you're on top of the world, brainwashing people into mental and physical slavery, just to satisfy your own needs", she asked him in a now deeply angered tone.

"Well, it isn't that hard when you are Pure Evil my dear", he arrogantly replied, acting as though he had received a compliment as he took another sip of his tea.

" Pure Evil or not, how can you possibly think that what you do is right; conforming and commending people to beliefs and that aren't their own", she asked in a calm yet deeply angered tone.

" Is that how you see it?", he calmly asked as he put his tea cup down. "Well, if I am so wrong, then how is you leading an organization under what you view as correct any better? After all...aren't you really just doing that same thing as me", the satanic demon replied in a sinister tone, sneering at the young girl as she continued to stare at him sternly. As this occurred, a moment of silence came upon the two opponents, one that was only broken upon Rachel opening her mouth to speak.

"At least I don't commend my operatives to my beliefs", Rachel replied in a stern tone, staring angrily at the man who continued to evilly sneer at her.

" I suppose...But you see despite how wrong you think what I do is, I honestly feel that I have no choice but conform you snot nosed brats to my way of thinking", the yellow eyed demon calmly explained, his reply bringing nothing more than a look of pure shock to be etched on the young girl's face.

"What", she asked in a shocked yet somewhat curious manner.

" You see, the way I look at it, conformity it an essential component to gaining power for myself. Despite how rebellious or rambunctious a mere mortal may be, you all have one thing that relates you to one another; morality. Morals which define you as people, and keep you from going to far. But even with your values intact...you mortals are so easy to manipulate that it makes it easy for me you strip an individual of any moral value they have and corrupt their hearts and minds with the darkness of my own...making them the perfect servant...", the satanic demon explained in a genuinely sinister tone.

" Besides...I find it fun...You mortals think you are so invincible with your advancements and technology, and yet in reality you're nothing more than emotional saps just begging to be free of tyranny and tripe...perfect for my bidding and amusement...", he sinisterly replied as he continued to sneer in evil amusement. And as he spoke those chilling words, all Rachel could feel was shock run through her body, shock that slowly began to transform into seeping anger; how could he possibly think of people in this manner? A question that ran through her mind as she looked up to face him once more, anger now clear in her beautiful eyes and on her beautiful face.

" How can you just say that! To rob someone of their individuality...to rob them of their right to free thinking...even the innocence or child like qualities left in them...just so you can treat them like dolls...How can you not see that it's beyond wrong!...How can you not see that it's disgusting...", the young blonde yelled as a deep tone of anger ran through her voice, clearly defining just how deeply sickened she was by his words. Grandfather however, continued to sit there, a calm yet observant expression clear on his old face as he watched his young catalyst unleash her temper on him.

"Well, I suppose that if you look at it in that manner, it is...But that my dear, is where you miss the point", he calmly replied as the young girl stared at him in both anger, and slight confusion. "You are so wrapped up in your childish ideals that you miss the positives of being a Citizombie; physically, you will be stronger, faster, and more agile. You won't need to spend much time pondering in your thoughts. And once I am through with you, you will not look as ghastly as you did the first time", he replied in a sinister tone, trying to butter her up once more.

"Sorry, but I'd rather see myself hung before I become an evil old hag who only lives to serve you", Rachel replied in a tone of clear nobility and determination. Now deeply frustrated with her, the satanic demon rose up from his chair and floated over to where Rachel was, a look of deep annoyance clear on his old face as he did.

"Do not tempt my wrath you little brat", he replied in a dark yet angered tone. "You should be lucky I am even treating you as nice as I am, considering what I could be putting you through right now. If I had my way, I would have disposed of you like I should have done to Monty almost forty years ago."

"Funny, earlier you said that I was nothing like Numbuh 0", the young blonde replied in stern yet sarcastic sounding tone.

"Oh not in physical strength. But when it comes to matters of the heart, you are just as rebellious and resistive as he was. An impressive feet, considering that you have no Uno blood running through your veins", the elderly man replied in the same angered tone as before.

" Perfect...because I intend to keep it that way", the young girl replied as a small smirk surfaced onto her beautiful face.

"Oh I wouldn't count on it", the satanic demon replied as his angered look turned into an evil smirk. "After all...you gave up your Moon Base to me so willingly the first time", he replied in his usual arrogant tone, angering the young blonde once more.

"That's because you implanted in me feelings that weren't my own", she replied in a stern yet angered tone.

"True, but I might not have had my hands on it, had you not stayed and chose to fight", the elderly man replied in a sinister yet arrogant tone, one which caused a look of pure shock and surprise to form on Rachel's face. "I only say that because you are a leader; you could have easily chosen to run away and lead in a position of tactic. But instead, you chose to stay and fight you darling little fool, letting all of your remaining subordinates down."

"I only did that to buy Hoagie and Fanny some time", the young girl replied in a low yet stern sounding tone.

"While that may be the case, it only signifies your greatest flaw as a leader; you are too selfless for your own good", he observantly replied as he pointed towards her, all the while Rachel continued to stare at him in stern intent, preparing to take his future criticism in.

" Your mind is so set on liberating and protecting kid kind from the wrath of adults like myself, but you end up taking it to great extremes despite your maturity. In the end, it only causes you to miss the greater picture of the situation. And in doing so, it leaves your ideals as childish as they were to begin with, and your organization without a leap in development."

"So what? Our organization grows and develops not just because of my efforts, but also because of the many operatives who help it grow and develop", Rachel replied in a genuinely stern tone.  
"True, but an organization needs a Queen. For without one, it would starve and perish. But a Queen cannot rely on mere pacifism and logic to see her through every crisis, for pro activity is futile", he replied in a sinister tone as the young blonde stood there, a surge of shock and surprise ran through her body as she continued to stand there, attempting to hide her obvious fear and insecurities from this powerful enemy.

" Despite what you may think, your childish organization is quite political for something run by brats, and not every situation is black and white. Sometimes certain situations have to be dealt without logic or reasoning, and sometimes personal feelings can't get in the way of what is right for the situation...but given all of the blunders you have made, it seems as though you keep repeating that mistake...Miss Supreme Leader", the satanic demon replied in a sinister, almost mocking tone as the young Supreme Leader stood there in shock, feeling as though his words kept striping off a piece of her at every turn, exposing her for the truly fragile person she was. In spite of this though, the young blonde refused let her pride, her strength, or her dignity be soiled by this arrogant man as she continued to stare at him in stern intensity.

"I know that...I've always known that...ever since I became Supreme Leader of the Kids Next Door...but even if I can't fully liberate kid-kind through my beliefs...I'd rather try my methods than not try anything at all", Rachel replied in a stern yet calm tone as she stared intently at her enemy, only for him to stare at her in evil amusement.

"Very well then, stick to your beliefs my dear. Eventually, you will begin to see that power can only be obtained through fear and careful manipulation, for your subordinates are nothing more than pawns in your game of chess", Grandfather retorted in arrogant, yet oddly calculative tone.

"Funny, I prefer to see it the other way around", the young girl calmly replied as she crossed her arms together, only for the satanic old man to tisk at her.

"Such a foolish child...I'm almost surprised that I even picked you for a catalyst, especially when there were so many others on par with you that I could have picked", he recalled.

"And yet, you chose me of all people", she retorted in a stern yet somewhat angered tone as Grandfather merely watched her intently. "You could have easily take advantage of a weaker link in the Kids next Door to dispose of me, or even someone close to me. You even have enough power to do so... so why pick among the many candidates you could have picked?"

"Because you're the key", he replied in a evil and sinister tone.

"What", she asked in a tone of deep and sudden confusion.

"You see, metaphorically, you are the key to many things. But most importantly, you are the key to the Kids Next Door's existence. If you are turned one way, the organization exists. But if you are turned the other way, it ceases to exist. And I intend to turn you the other way...permanently", the elderly demon replied a tone of deep, sinister evil.

"So then it's true...I really would become your puppet...", she replied in a stern tone, trying her best to keep her growing fears from earlier as hidden as she could make them.

"If you wish to view it that way my dear", he sinisterly replied. "Now then, if you are done preaching, let us continue with my negotiations."

" Now, despite my keen strength and abilities for my age, I'm afraid that even I cannot live forever", the black bearded man calmly replied. "But since I have no successor in either of my sons, I've been thinking; why not pass my heritage onto the one who lent a hand in my permanent domination over this planet", he stated in a somewhat sinister tone, his words surprising Rachel as she understood his words.

"You want me to become...your successor...", she asked as the fear building inside of her began to seep out through her voice.

" But of course... After all...even as a Citizombie, you will be smart, strong, sophisticated yet graceful...and not too fair...You will have unlimited power in controlling the Citizombies, and even power beyond my comprehension...The perfect combination for putting you on par with the former evil King of the World", he replied as he formed a small yet beautifully detailed crown, glittering with various rare yet unique gems.

"What do you say", he asked as she he began to inch towards her. "Why...with you as my successor...there's no telling what kind of evil will befall this world...", he retorted in a sinister tone. And as he inched towards her, Rachel continued to inch backwards, the building fear inside she had worked so hard to suppress was beginning to show itself as she continued to inch away from him. Upon her hand hitting a small little teacup (hers to be exact), the young blonde found her means of escape as she grabbed a hold of the tea cup handle.

"Never", she yelled at the old man as she viciously threw the hot tea in his face, her actions causing him to yelp in pain as he felt the hot tea drip all over his old face.

Seeing this an opportune time for escape, Rachel quickly ran over towards the back wall and quickly grabbed her backpack and Yield Staff, trying to frantically put her backpack on as fast as she could. Unfortunately for her however, Grandfather managed to wipe the tea off of golden yellow eyes long enough to open them, anger beginning to seep throughout his body as he saw the young blonde preparing for her escape.

"Why you little brat, I'll teach you to show some respect", he angrily replied as he shot his psychokinetic eye beams at his opponent.

Quick to notice them however, the young girl masterfully ducked just in time and made her way towards the glass stained windows. Prepared to make her escape, she began to make her way towards the window Wally and Alex were watching form. Quickly moving out of the way, they could not help but watch in awe as their leader and friend broke through the window and began to gracefully back flip towards the ground, her beautiful Victorian dress slowly reverting back to her samurai armour as she continued to do so. Managing to land on her feet, the young blonde then began to run as fast as her strong legs could carry her as her friend continued to watch.

" Wow, that was some jump", Wally said with great delight.

"Yeah, but we don't have time to marvel. Come on", Alex stated as she grabbed her short friend by the wrist as began to fly low enough that Grandfather could not see them, but high enough for Rachel not to spot them. Continuing their assignment as Wally let a few screams of surprise.

But as they continued their assignment, Grandfather continued with his plans as he began to transform the room around him. That slimy green coating replaced the beautiful walls with black ones touched up by various monitors. In the centre of the room appeared a small crystal ball like monitor that defused the angered look off of the satanic demon's face, replacing it with an evil smile as he sat back in a throne like chair, watching the little figure of Rachel continuing to run through her now decimated paradise.

"Run while you can my rebellious little lamb, but it will take a lot more than your relentless nature to decimate my power", the all powerful demon sinisterly replied as he continued to watch the small monitor, prepared to show the true power he held over her dreamworld.

End chap. 8


	9. Chapter 9

Hello everyone, and welcome to chapter nine. Now before we get started, there's a few notes I'd like to discuss before the reading can commence.

1. The puppet metaphor that Alex talks about in this chapter was something that I'd actually intended to put in chapter seven. I took it out however because I felt that while I like the metaphor, it ultimately did not fit in the current context of teh chapter, which was focusing on Patton's fear of losing his beloved friend at that point. I managed to get it in here though, which makes me happpy. Whether you feel it works or not however, is entirely up to you.

2. I apologize if Waly seems a tad bit out of character in this chapter, I just thought that it would be kind of intersting if he was amazed by how much of a little badass Rachel could be under the right circumstances.

3. Now having become infatuated with Soul Eater in recent months, I kept imagining track thirteen of the first OST (titled Krieg) playing during the Rachel/Citizombie fight. To listen to this awesome piece of rock meets orchestral, please feel free to look up Soul Eater OST on Youtube, and look for track thirteen.

Other than that, read, review, and enjoy!

The Demon Master's Puppet

Chapter 9: Resisting the Devil's Call

This wasted place of tranquil paradise seemed not so quiet anymore as a determined Rachel continued to run through the rocky terrain once inhabited by beautiful flowers and lush grass, the clatteriness of her sandal bottoms and the huffiness of her breath bringing sound to its dead surroundings as she did. Despite her escape, there was one thing the young blonde felt certain of; Grandfather was furious and on probably on her trail. If she was to defeat him, she would need to come up with an elaborate plan to ware him down, and a secluded hiding spot to think and rest for awhile. Unfortunately, that little plan of hers would have to wait. For the menacing golden yellow eyes of the satanic demon himself appeared before the young girl, startling her in the process.

"Running away I see", replied the sinister voice of Grandfather as Rachel angrily stared at him.

"I don't run from a fight", she replied in a stern tone as she tried to run away from that pair of menacing eyes, only to be startled once more by those same eyes as they reappeared in the new direction she had chosen to run in.

"While that may be true, I'm afraid that there is no where for you to run and hide my dear...After all...I control the dream sect of your mind now", he replied in a booming tone as Rachel found herself now surrounded by millions of menacing pairs of eyes, each of them laughing evilly at her, as if to say she had already lost. Regardless though, the young blonde refused to falter as she continued to stare intently at her old foe.

" Alright, I'll admit that you have some control over my mind. But you're going to have to try a lot harder if you want control over my heart and morality", she sternly replied.

"Oh, I doubt that. After all, you forget who you are dealing with here; if I cannot target your strong points, then I can pull at your weak ones. Or perhaps, maybe I don't have to...perhaps I can offer you a flawless existence...", the satanic demon replied in a sinister yet oddly polite tone, one which brought shock to the young blonde.

"What", she asked in a tone of obvious surprise.

" Oh come now, surely you benefit from this sort of idea. After all, underneath all of that talent and charm, you are nothing more than an insecure, fragile and flawed child. But if you were to give into my powers, I could transform you into a flawless Citizombie", he replied in a triumphant sounding tone, almost as if he were pleased with his own idea. As he said his words however, Rachel could not help but feel herself almost agreeing with him, only to snap herself out of it the instant she realized just how foolish she was behaving.

"Never! I may have things I don't like about myself, but even so I accept my flaws and try to learn from and atone for them like a normal person would do", the young girl replied in stern tone, her tone border lining on anger as she displayed her obvious disgust at his words.

"True, but you are always in constant suffering my dear. Do you not think that it would be better to live without pain, without insecurity...without your flaws", he asked in an observant tone as she continued to stare at him in intent anger.

" I'd rather experience both failure and triumph than one or the other", she sternly replied, promptly angering the elderly demon as she did.  
"Fine then, resist my kind improvements all you wish. But whether you like it or not, you are going to hand over the Kids Next Door to me personally", he angrily replied as the young girl continued to stare at him, never once losing her stern composure.

"I'd rather die than live to see that happen", she angrily replied to her elderly foe, only for him to sigh in mild annoyance.

"So, it's going to be the hard way, is it", he asked as the ground began to shake and crack. As it did though, all that seemed to rise from the ground were old and evil looking Citizombies, their very appearance surprising Rachel as they began to slowly close in her her. Regardless though, all she could do was keep her stern composure as she continued to stare back at her old foe's evil eyes.

"So my pretty, any last words before you submit to servitude", he asked in an almost mocking tone as she sternly stood before him.

"Haven't you figured out by now that it's going to take more than your tricks to conform me", Rachel asked in a genuinely stern tone as she twirled her staff around for a few seconds, now prepared for battle.

Leaping into action, the young blonde sent a powerful back kick to the nearest Citizombie, taking it down with one swift movement. Now using her staff as a defensive weapon, she masterfully dodged each of the zombies that dare try and touch her, all the while giving a few of them some well deserved knuckle-sandwiches and flipping one over significantly smaller body. As a finishing move, the warrior like girl used her Yield sign to knock a circle of Citizombies out as more came to take their place. Despite this, Rachel just stood there with determination clear on her face, prepared to hand them their defeat as she had done so with the last batch. But unbeknownst to the fighting Rachel and the observant Grandfather, Alex and Wally had managed to land themselves on a small hill not far from what had become a battle area. It took the short Australian boy a few minutes to regain his composure, but once managed to do so, both him and the young mutant could not help stare in awe and wonder at the sight of their leader and friend beating up rows upon rows of Citizombies.

"Wa, sugoi", the mutant brunette replied in fan girl like glee, all the while uttering the Japanese word for "awesome, or amazing".

" I don't know what you just said, but it sure. I knew Numbuh 362 always had it in her", the short Australian boy replied with great pride as friend responded to his response with a weirded out look on her face.

"Uh...right...", she replied as she ignored his comment, all the while attempting to call up their friends for their report. "Yo, Nigel-kun."

"Hello Two-Seventy-Three. Have you and Numbuh 4 managed to locate Rachel's whereabouts", Nigel asked in his usual calm yet stern sounding tone.

"You bet; we followed Rachel-san all the way from the mansion into a canyon where she's been cornered by Grandfather and his minions", she replied.

"Yeah, and kickin' some serious butt too", Wally replied with great delight as he continued to watch the battle.

"Oh, that's good to know", Patton replied as he breathed a sigh of relief. Unfortunately though, he came to find that the remaining Sector V members were all staring at him, devious smirks plastered on their faces as they did so.

"What", he asked as his cheeks flushed red, trying his best to cover up the embarrassment seeping through his voice as he did.

Meanwhile, the battle raged on as another Citizombie ran towards the determined Rachel, prepared to engage in another duel. Using her staff to defend herself from its hands, the young blonde finally managed to defeat her old opponent by sending a powerful kick to its stomach. Once that one had been defeated, she gracefully cartwheeled herself towards another Citizombie and kick it with merely her sandled feet. After hitting another one hard in the head with her Yield sign, the young blonde then proceeded to take out an entire row of Citizombies with the use of her staff's powerful boxing glove. But knocking her opponents down like bowling pins left her wide open for an attack as another Citizombie came out of nowhere and punched her hard in the stomach. Despite the surging pain she felt running through her gut, the young blonde refused to give in as she went to attack her opponent, only to feel herself socked by another opponent in the back. With that, the young girl collapsed to the ground, wincing in obvious pain as the Citizombies began to close in on her, laughing evilly as they did so. It was a sight that amused the satanic demon, and also frightened both the mutant brunette and the young Australian boy.

"Uh, Nigel-kun, we've got a bit of a problem", Alex stated in a somewhat panicky tone.

"What! But you just said that everything was under control", the bald boy replied in a now urgent sounding tone.

" Well that was before she socked in the stomach, now she's down and the Citizombies are closing in on her", she replied in a somewhat panicky tone, one which caused the young Drill Sergeant's anxiety to build up inside him.

"We got ta' do something fast", the short blonde replied in a courageous tone.

"I'm with you on that one", Alex said in a tone of agreement.

"Out of the question, Two-Seventy-Three", The British bald boy replied in a stern yet urgent sounding tone.

"What? Why", she asked in a tone of surprised confusion.  
" Because we can't risk blowing our cover", he sternly replied.

"Oh, so you'd rather let your friend lead a terrible life as a Citizombie than risk us helping her out", the mutant brunette asked in a tone of clear annoyance, her tone causing Nigel to become even more annoyed than he had been before.

"No, I'd just prefer it if you two thought about your actions instead of rushing in there impulsively", he replied in a tone of obvious annoyance.

" Oh you're one to talk about impulsiveness, Mr. "I Had To Save The Museum and Let Global Command Become a Flap Jack" ", she replied in a mocking tone.

"Hey, that museum is very important to me. It's part of the reason I decided to-"

"Okay you two, that's enough", Abigail said in a loud tone, silencing Nigel's whining at once. "Numbuh 1, we have ta' let them help her out."

"But we can't risk the possibility of them blowing their cover", the British bald boy replied in an impatient tone.

"And we can't risk losin' Numbuh 362", she sternly replied back, surprising her leader with her words. "Now we sent Alex and Numbuh 4 in there fo' a reason, so let's just try and and trust that they'll be careful", the motherly black girl replied in a more calm tone, one which made the stubborn leader come to a realization; she had made a good point, one which he could not deny.

"Very well then; Numbuh 273, you and Numbuh 4 have permission to intervene", he explained to his fellow subordinate, one which brought a smile to her pale face.

"Yes! Arigato Nigel-kun", she happily replied, all the while mutter the Japanese word for "'Thank you" as she turned to happily face her blonde friend. "Wallabee-kun, we have permission to intervene."

"That's all I wanted ta' here", Wally replied as he smiled cockily at his female friend. "You take the left side, I'll take the right."

"Got it", the mutant brunette replied as she began to run in one direction. "let me know when you're done."

"Right", he replied as he ran off in the other direction.

Leaping to the ground with a guard thud, the short Australian smiled cockily at his on-coming opponents as he whipped out a pair of twins JOYSCHTICKs, prepared to give them a serious but whooping. Jumping into the air, the cocky blonde punched one Citizombie in the face while he kicked one soon after. Landing to the ground, he then proceeded to punch a few more opponents in their guts before he began to move around in a quick circle, using his twin JOYSCHTICKs to take out whole rows of Citizombies as if they were bowling pins.

"Two Seventy Three", he yelled to his friend, as if to signal her cue. But from atop the hill, the mutant girl remained there in stoic grace, or at least until she opened her eyes to reveal that they had turned a menacing pink colour.

"Telekinetic Magatama",, she fiercely said as best she could as her telekinetic energy transformed into two rings with Magatama beads (like the ones in _Mai Hime_) the circled her wrists. Freeing them from her wrists, the two rings began to increase in size. Or at least they did until Alex silently commanded them to stop, allowing for them to become giant rings by then.

"Baruten Himitsu", the mutant brunette fiercely stated as she began to twirl around in place at a fast speed. As she did, teh rings began to move ins sync with her twirling, going down towards the Citizombies a knocking them down as if they were bowling pins, an offensive move that not only surprised Grandfather, but also Rachel.

Upon feeling her work complete, the young girl ceased the twirling, causing the two rings to disperse. Soon afterwards though, she grabbed Wally with her telekinesis and quickly threw him up onto the hill, apologizing immediately afterwards for her "rough" treatment. It was around this time though that Rachel found the strength to get back up onto her feet as she continued to stare at her old foe, who stared at her in a rather confused manner.

" Well...that was interesting", the satanic demon confessed very non-nonchalantly. "I assume that you have no explanation for this my dear?"  
"To be honest, I don't. Although if I was to devise a theory about this, I believe that perhaps maybe you don't hold as much control over my dream world as you think you do", the young girl replied in as a small devious smirk emerged on her beautiful face.

"Oh, I doubt that. Now my minions; decimate this rebellious little lamb and make her one of your kind", he arrogantly commanded towards his followers. And just like puppets on their strings, they began to slowly creep over towards their target, evil smiles plastered on their faces as they approached their seemingly fearless opponent.

And as they began to come at her like blood thirsty hound-dogs, the young blonde began to use her staff as a weapon of defence, using it almost in a sword like fashion before she hit one of her opponents hard in the face with her sign. Afterwards though, that's all the battle seemed to be to the warrior like girl; she would use her staff as a sword like weapon of defence, socking her opponents with either the sign, or the boxing glove (and the occasional kick to the stomach). True, it was an easy fight, but even someone as acrobatically skilled as Rachel knew that she couldn't keep fighting forever. She knew she could find a way out of this army's way, it was just a matter of trickery is all. But what stealthy move could she use to avert her defeat? It was only then that a smile brimmed on her face, for she remembered about the MARBLES she stuck earlier in her backpack. Now a grin of of determination plastered on her face, she jumped onto one of the Citizombies, using her opponent as a catapult as she back flipped herself into the air.

Upon landing to the ground, the young blonde then proceeded to throw the tine beads to the ground, exploding upon impact. Once the smoke cleared however, the army of Citizombies became surprised to find that their opponent was no longer where she stood. This was a sight which not only surprised her two fellows helpers, but also her old foe as well. Surprise however, turned into boiling anger for Grandfather as he continued to play over in his mind the numerous times she had been able to escape his clutches, feeling as though he could loose his temper at any given moment now.

" Curse that little brat", he said with a hiss in his voice, signifying his growing anger. Realizing that he could not lose his temper at this point, the satanic demon proceeded to face his minions, who seemingly had no idea what to do next.

"Well don't just stand there you fools; comb the area and look for that troublesome girl, she could not have gotten far! Now go", he replied in a genuinely irritated tone, annoyed with his minions lack of competence.

"Yes Master", the Citizombies replied in unison as they went to their task, prepared to find their target at all cost. Unbeknownst to them however, their little target had managed to hide herself out in a small crevas not too far off from the battlefield. It wasn't exactly cozy, but it was good enough for the young blonde as she checked one last time to make sure she was not invisible to the blind eye.

"That was close...Too close", she sternly thought to herself as began to sit herself down, only to wince in pain a little bit more as she felt the pain in her sore stomach act up again. " Dammit, I should have known that my stomach would still be sore...Oh well...at least it's only sore."

"Still though, I allow for anything to make me quit...Because if I give up...even for just a single moment...then I won't be me anymore...I'll become nothing more than a possession...", she thought to herself in a melancholy tone, her suppressed fear continuing to show itself as she did. Suddenly though, the young blonde could not help felt a surge of pain crawl up the side of her neck, one very similar to the pain she felt when her forearm had transformed the previous day at Arctic Base. Once it disappeared, the young girl came to find herself shocked by the transformation of her neck's right side.

"How could this have happened?" she wondered in a somewhat panicky state, especially considering that it wouldn't be noon for another two hours or so. Upon calming herself down though, she felt that it was only a symbol; a symbol that she was running out of time. Now feeling determination surge throughout her slender body, Rachel picked herself up as she began to leave her hiding spot, quietly moving as if she were a tiny mouse.

...  
" So then she used a set of MARBLES as her means of escape", Hoagie asked rather enthusiastically.  
" Yeah, pretty much" Wally replied to his overweight friend.

" Aw, I totally got to bring some of those the next time we go on a mission. Maybe I could even-"

"Yeah, yeah, you can tell them all about it lata' "Hero Boy", Abigail replied in a stern and sarcastic, yet oddly playful tone.  
"Anyway Numbuh 4, now that Rachel has gone into hiding, you and Numbuh 273 will have to track her down and keep an eye on her like before", Nigel explained in his usual calm yet suave sounding tone.

"Right", the short Australian boy replied as he ended the conversation with his friends, sitting himself on the ground with a sigh of exhaustion as he did. " You know, those Citizombies aren't so scary once you give em' a couple of knuckle sandwiches. I honestly don't get why Numbuh 362's so afraid of becoming one of them, s'pecially if she can kick their old asses as hard as she did."

"It could be because she views being a Citizombie as a form of servitude", the mutant brunette coldly replied as she stared into the distance, her response catching the confused attention of her short friend.

"What do you mean", he asked in a tone of somber confusion.

" I've been thinking about the symbology of Patton-san's dream for awhile now...and I'm beginning to think that perhaps subconsciously, he believes that if Rachel-san becomes a Citizombie...she will become Grandfather's puppet", she replied in the same cold tone as before.

" Puppet? I don't remember seein' the Citizombies havin' strings on them", the short blonde boy replied in deep confusion.

" Not real puppets you dummy, puppets as in tools of manipulation", she coldly replied, her response only confusing her friend even more.

"Manipulation", Wally replied a somewhat curious tone.

"Yes. You see, from what I've perceived, the Citizombies are nothing more than puppets designed for servitude", the mutant girl coldly replied. " True, they can think and act like normal humans. But in reality, they are nothing more than mindless slaves; they have been brainwashed to give up whatever moral, or personal values they keep and allow the darkness inside to twist and corrupt them, only to serve a man who's ideals he has forced upon them. He cares not for their well being, so as long as they obediently do his bidding, or provide him with amusement."

"It's just like Drosselmeyer said to Princess Tutu; " Marionettes are at their freest when they're being manipulated by their strings". And that's exactly what the Citizombies are; Mindless drones doing what their master tells them, never once thinking thinking for themselves", Alex finished in a cold tone. As she did though, the sort boy could not help but look at his friend in utter surprise as he recalled her words, words which had to admit, scared him quite a bit.

"No offence mate, but...that's pretty dark", he replied a somewhat frightened, almost somber sounding tone.

"I know it's quite a dark thought, but... that's kind of how I've been thinking about this situation for awhile now", Alex replied in a now somber tone as she turned to face her short friend, her pink eyes reverting to their natural brown colour as she did. Upon doing so, a moment of silence encased the two friends, one which was only broken upon the short blonde opening his mouth to speak as he clenched his hands into fists.

" Then let's go find her, we have to if we're going to help her win this thing", he replied in a brave, fearless tone, one which surprised that mutant girl.

"Really?...Are you sure you're not scared now", Alex asked in a teasing tone.

"Who cares about being scared? I'd rather give Grandfather a knuckle sandwich myself then let him turn us all into meleeinettes", the short Australian replied in a determined tone, a feet which could help but bring a small smile to his friend's face. Despite his cocky attitude, Wally always remained loyal to those he cared for, something she could not help but respect him for, even if she could not help but cringe at his mispronunciation of "marionette".

" Right... You search the left side and I'll take the right", she replied, her words grabbing his attention once more. Only this time however, his reaction was far from frightened, and more along the lines of annoyance.

"Wait, That's no fair! You have aura powers, so you'll be able to find her before I even have a chance", he complained.

"True, but I still have my cold here; it'll be harder for me to pick out Rachel-san's aura, so you'll have as good a chance as I will at finding her", Alex replied in a blunt tone, one which caused her short friend to feel rather embarrassed by her words.

"Oh...yeah...Well, if ya' can't find anything, meet me back here in half an hour", he replied as he began to run off in the left direction.

"Right", she replied back as she levitated herself back into the air, flying off into the right direction. Unbeknownst to them however, they were being monitored by a now enraged looking Grandfather.

" I should have known that stupid mutant child would try and intervene in my plans", the satanic demon remarked in an enraged tone, angered by the presence of the mutant child and her friend. Despite his obvious enraged state however, he managed to calm himself down, reminding himself once more that he needed to save his energy for his real target.

"No matter, I will deal with those two soon enough. First I must focus on my main objective", he said to himself as he sat down in his throne like chair, studying his young target in the main crystal monitor as he did so.

"It seems as though no matter what I say or do, she refuses to conform, proving her resistance to be much stronger than I initially realized. I must find a way to defeat her before she bests me at my own game. But how though? All of my usual psychological tricks have failed me, and-", he thought to himself in a fit of slight irritation, uncertain of what to do. Or at least it seemed that way until an idea rang off in his head, causing a wide smirk to form on his old face as he began to develop his next evil scheme.

"Well my dear, you may be able to resist my words...but I doubt you will be resistive to those of your loved ones", the old man replied in a sinister yet arrogant tone, chuckling evilly as he continued to develop his latest plan against his young target, believing that nothing could thwart his plans this time.

End chap. 9


	10. Chapter 10

Hello everyone, and welcome to chapter ten. As per usual, let's cover a few notes before we get into the reading portion.

1) The whole idea of Alex and Grandfather being equals is actually something that comes from their personalities being rather similar. It also comes fomr the dark connection shared between them.

2) Alex tends to make many pop culture jokes and reference that I love to throw in from time to time. However, I have made the conscious decision to respect the audience's intelligence, instead of telling you what the reference is. If you do however not get any of the references in teh following chapters, please feel free to ask.

3) The Citizombie Patton talks very differently from teh real Patton, this was done to showcase the idea the Citizombies are their own people, they still carry some of Grandfather's traits and quirks.

4) I apologize isf this chapter seems somewhat shotty, this was mostly due to the fact that I wasn't in the best of moods while writing this chapter. I know that's excuse, but at least I polished it up enough in editing that it's not a total bomb.

Other than that, read, review, and enjoy!

The Demon Master's Puppet

Chapter 10: Disturbing Seduction

Silence; at first it seems down right creepy, but after awhile, becomes sort of a welcoming, almost calming effect. Or at least maybe it just felt that way to Rachel as she continued to quietly walk through her now desolate dreamland, her gloved hands tightly gripped around her trusty Yield staff as she felt prepared to take on anything Grandfather would throw in her way. Deep in her heart, she could not deny the feelings of failure continuing to seep through her body. And yet she knew she would have to put those feelings aside for now, for she knew that more than anything, she wanted to banish this diabolical demon from her mind and return to her loved ones as she continued to sternly press forward.

"Hello Rachel", said a familiar voice from behind. Although somewhat startled, the young girl allowed sternness to overtake her as she turned to face the tone she recognized; the Citizombie Patton, smiling as evilly as he ever had been. Wasting no time, she quickly threw her staff up in defence, causing him to chuckle evilly at the sight.

"Already getting defensive, are we", Patton asked in an amused tone.

"well considering how our last fight went down, I'd rather not take any risks. Besides, I refuse to be defeated by any of Grandfather's trick or offers", she replied in a genuinely stern yet calm sounding tone.

"I can see why, although one would question why you would run away from a fight you were capable of winning. But then again, one can never be too careful...or too fearful", he replied in a calm yet sinisterly teasing tone. Despite feeling the harsh reality of his words, the young blonde continued to sternly hold her staff up to him in defence, prepared to take him on at any given moment.

"Still though, I fail to see why you're so resistive", the old Drill Sergeant admitted to his lovely young friend. "Why not stop this pointless fighting and give into the Master's power? Why not rejoice at your rebirth and live life anew?"

"Like I told your "Master"; I'd rather die than live to see that happen. You should know that, considering who you are", she sternly replied.

"True...But don't you think it's pointless to be fighting for the sake of a few", Patton asked in a calm yet oddly sinister sounding tone as he grinned evilly at his opponent. Despite this though, the young girl did not budge from either her stance, or her stern composure.

"I'm not risking my life for the sake of a few I deem worthy. I risk my life for the fact that whether one is good or evil, no one should be conformed into a life of servitude. If you were really Patton, then you would do the same", the young girl replied in a mixed tone of stern and anger, something which brought an evil smile to the old Drill Sergeant's face.

"True...but you forget that I am still Patton...And even if I was opposed to servitude like you are, who's to say I'd rather go back to the life that I once had", he asked in a sinister tone as he smiled evilly at his opponent, only for her to remain perfectly still once more.

"The real you would", she sternly replied.

"Maybe...Until he saw the benefits...", Patton calmly replied as he went to gently grab Rachel's infected hand, only for her to swat his hand away with her Yield staff.  
"Don't touch me", the young girl replied in a deeply angered tone.

"I have no intention of hurting you Rachel...In fact...I'm even concerned about you", he sincerely replied.

"Oh really", she replied in a tone of disbelief, not buying his act for even a second.

"I am...I'm concerned that these thoughts of freedom are corrupting your mind...concerned that they're making you suffer...concerned that they're causing you pain", he sincerely replied. "All I ask is that you let me free you of this life, and show you just how truly amazing this style fo life is", he sincerely replied as he grabbed her infected hand, gently caressing it in his own hand as he planted a small kiss onto her wrinkly hand. Despite being taken aback by this, the young blonde refused for him to win her over with his charms as she stood to face him with stern integrity.

"Why do you care so much", she asked in a stern tone of disbelief.

"Because", he said in a almost romantic sounding tone. "I love you."

Upon hearing those words, Rachel felt herself become overwhelmed by shock; shock of what she had just heard, and the shock of what those words meant. "It could be sincere" her panicked mind thought, but it could also be nothing more than a dirty trick. She knew it must be one of those two answers, but just which one it was, she was uncertain of as she began to try and pull her hand away from his grip.

"N-No, that can't be...that's not possible", She replied in a panicky tone, trying desperately to pull herself away from his grasp as he continued to smile evilly at her.

"Why not", he asked.

"Because...it...it must be some sort of trick", Rachel panickingly replied.

" Perhaps...or maybe you're just in shock because you never believed that those words would come out of my mouth", he smoothly replied.

"What", she asked in complete shock, even though she knew what he was referring to.

"You love my real self...don't you", he asked in a smooth yet evil sounding tone as the young blonde stood there, uncertain of how to response as her shock began to turn into anxiety. Realizing that she could not allow her emotions to get the better of her however, she took a stern breath of air and stood to face him, having mostly regained her stern composure.

"Whether I see Patton as more than my friend is my own personal matter. Besides, even if that were the case, I doubt he'd ever feel the same way", Rachel replied in a stern tone, one which only deepened the old Drill Sergeant's evil smile.

"I'm quite certain he would and does", he replied, watching as her eyes softened. "After all, we may have our differences, but I am still him."

"Now why settle for him when you can have me", he asked in a smooth tone. "I'm much stronger both physically and mentally than he could ever be...And besides...With my strength and intelligence I can free you from your troublesome thoughts, and bring you into a peaceful life of servitude...There you an I can live together in peaceful harmony...as Citizombies" the old Drill Sergeant replied in a sincere, romantic sounding tone. And yet as he did, the young blonde could not help but stare at him in great confusion, for she was confused by his words.

"But...that doesn't seem right though...because if you really loved me, you wouldn't want me to be like this...just as the real you wants me just to be me...", she softly yet observantly replied.

"What are you saying", he asked in an curious tone.

"What I'm saying is that your words...your actions...even in your gestures...it almost seems as though whom you really love is my Citizombie self", Rachel replied in a soft tone, only to feel herself be vindicated upon seeing the grin run smooth across her opponent's old face.

"To an extent...Don't get me wrong though, I do have romantic feelings for you. But you're not wrong in assuming otherwise, for my true love is your beautiful Citizombie self", Patton replied in a deeply smitten tone as he felt her old, infected hand pressed up against his old face.

"So what do you say", he asked her in a low, almost seductive sounding tone. Despite the shock she clearly still felt, the young girl remained as stern as she could possibly be.

"I will never submit to you", Rachel replied in a low yet stern tone, one which caused the old Drill Sergeant's face to turn into budding anger. "You may still be Patton, but as far as I'm concerned, you'll never be him. And the only Patton I care about is the real you."

"Forget about him; I can give you so much more than he ever could", he replied in angered tone, one which seemed to oddly transform into a suave sounding one. "I can give you all that your heart desires..."

"I can bring you flowers and diamonds...make you smile...talk to you...listen to you...comfort you...take care of you...protect you...kiss you...I would even go as far as to make you evil Queen of the world...and I could be your loyal King...And together, we could rule as King and Queen of the Citizombies...if you desired it so...he suavely replied. And yet despite the love that Rachel could clearly see in his eyes, she could not help but spot the look of a madman hiding behind all that love, something which frightened her greatly.

"Never! You're insane if you think you can persuade me that easily", the young blonde yelled at him in furious rage as she tried to loosen his grip on her once more.

"Perhaps...but I can promise you that it won't be an offer you'll regret taking...if you choose to accept it...my love", the old Drill Sergeant smoothly replied, only for Rachel to feel even more disgusted with him now than she had been before.

"Forget it! It doesn't matter how you try and persuade me; I will banish Grandfather from my mind, and I will save humanity from his tyranny", the young girl yelled in a very stern yet noble sounding tone.

"But what happens once you defeat Grandfather", he asked in a sinister tone.

"What", she asked in angered confusion.

"What will happen? Sure, Grandfather will have been defeated, but what will become of you Rachel? True you'll have saved humanity...but you still won't have what you truly desire", he replied in a sinister tone.

" I'll have accomplished what I desire", she angrily replied.

"But you won't have your man", he sinisterly replied, his face lighting up at the moment of realization for her on this matter. "Think about it; You'll have saved humanity, and he'll go back to being your good friend, never to know how you truly feel about him. Don't you think that that's unfair?"  
"I do...but...I've always felt it were better that Patton not know how I feel, so as to not ruin my current relationship with him...", she softly replied.

"But how is that fair to you? It's not really what you want? So why not seize the opportunity and make him yours?...Or rather...why settle for him when you can settle for me...", he suave asked her.

"But-"

" Think about it Rachel; in the real world we are constantly thwarted from giving into our feelings because of the rules and regulations of the Kids Next Door. Here, there's nothing to separate here, here we can live in peaceful harmony, if you just give into his power", he replied.

"But the rest of humanity will-"

"Screw the rest of humanity. As long as we have each other, that's all that should matter."

"But-"

"You love me Rachel, and I love you...and together we can live a peaceful life here in this beautifully corrupt world", he sinisterly replied.

"But that's not-"

"Isn't this what you've always wanted though Rachel? To be with me? To not care about your role, your responsibilities...or who you are", he asked her in a smooth tone as he caressed her soft cheeks with his wrinkly hands, smiling evilly at her as he did so. And yet despite the fear she felt as she looked into his pale yellow eyes, the young girl could not help but feel want, need, and even desire wash over her as she felt herself sinking deeper into his eyes.

"Yes...", she replied in a low, almost emotionless tone.

As she spoke those words, her beautiful chocolate brown eyes glazed over into a dazed looking state, her eyelids beginning to droop as her hand loosened its tight grip on her staff. Allowing an evil chuckle to escape his mouth at this sight, the old Drill Sergeant then proceeded to cup his beloved's soft chin as he he began to slowly lean in, preparing to kiss her soft lips. Unbeknownst to him however, a floating Alex was just entering the area. Despite her presence, she seemed a bit tired an lazy looking as she continued her search for her friend.

"Oh god, I feel like I'm going up the Congo river", Alex replied in tired yet oddly reserved sounding tone. Or at least that's how she felt and sounded until she found herself shocked by the sight her eyes were just now witnessing; the Citizombie caressing a dazed looking Rachel, now preparing to kiss her.

"Rachel-san, no! Don't do it! Rachel-san, wake-up, it's a trick", she yelled to her friend, only to find that it was of no use. Now feeling anxiety running throughout her body, the mutant brunette felt that she had no choice but to intervene as she began to make her way towards her friend.

"You will not interfere with my plans this time", replied the booming, arrogant yet sophisticated voice of Grandfather as his golden yellow eyes appeared right behind the mutant girl, stopping her dead in her floating tracks.

"Omiwa", she softly replied as she turned to face him, all the while muttering the Japanese word for "you".

It was now that she was turned to face her foe and equal, only for her to feel excruciating pain as the satanic demon zapped her with his pyrokinetic eye beams, taking immense pleasure of the obvious pain of his young equal as he did so. It would seem fair that wherever Wally was, he was safe from this nightmarish torture. But to say so would be a lie, for he too felt himself wrapped up in the pain of these beams, screaming as if there were no tomorrow. Though not together, the two friends continued to suffer simultaneously as they continued to scream in agony. Unfortunately, the shock was beginning to take a toll on their bodies in the real world, alerting their friends to their obvious pain. The pain only ended however once the two friends were zapped by a strange crimson lightning, causing them to let go of each others hands as they collapsed to the ground simultaneously.

"Numbuh 4", Hoagie and Patton screamed in unison as they ran over to their fallen friend.

"Wally", Kuki screamed as she followed suit.

"Two-Seventy-Three", Nigel yelled as he collapsed to his knees to try and pick up his fellow operative and friend.

"Alex", Abigail screamed as she ran over to help her leader pick up her fallen friend, their three other friends following in pursuit as they began to slowly pick the Australian blonde up.

"Numbuh 4, are you okay buddy", the plump pilot asked in a concerned tone.

"Yeah, are you", the young Drill Sergeant asked in a concerned tone as he watched his small friend open his emerald green eyes.

"Oh man, I feel like I road the Spleen Buster eleventy kajillion times in a row", Wally replied in a groggy tone as he began to rub the back of his head.

" Oh Wally", the little Asian girl replied as she hugged him in relief, embarrassing the young boy just as she always did. Not too long after this display of affection, the young mutant brunette slowly opened her brown eyes, bringing a sigh of relief to her black friend.

"Hey girl, you alright", the braided beauty asked.

"I'm fine...Dakara...", Alex replied in a panicked tone as she ran over towards her still sleeping friend, all the while muttering the Japanese word for "Still." She began her ritual by putting her hand atop of Rachel's soft forehead like she had done before, but upon making an attempt to enter her friend's dream realm once more, she felt herself become shocked by the mysterious crimson lightning once more. "Shit! Be blocked me from re-entry!"

"From -re-entry", the nerdy pilot asked in a confused tone.

" Yes. When Grandfather zapped us back into our bodies, he must have also blocked our entry way just to be certain that we'd have no way of re-entering", she replied in a rather stern yet observant tone.

" You mean he actually discovered you two", the British bald boy asked.

" Yeah. I don't even know how it happened. I was just walkin' around, minding my own business, when all of the sudden these evil glowing eyes came out of nowhere and zapped me. I don't get it", the short blonde complained.

"He must be able to see into all areas of Rachel-san's dream realm and we just didn't realize it. That's probably why he was quick to dispose of me when I found Rachel-san", the mutant girl replied in a panicked yet observant tone, one which could not help but catch the attention of the raven haired boy.

"What do you mean", he asked in a low, concerned sounding tone as she turned to face him.

"I saw Rachel-san with your Citizombie self. I'm not quite sure of what happened beforehand, but she seemed dazed...almost as if she were under his control or something...and I showed up just in time to see him puckering up to kiss her, which I can only assume is just another way to transform someone into a Citizombie", she explained in a somewhat panicked tone. But as he said her words, all that the young Drill Sergeant could feel was anxiety surging through his body; anxiety towards Rachel, anxiety towards her dilemma, and anxiety to the fact that she was in serious danger.

"Why didn't you try and stop him", Patton asked in a panicked tone, grabbing his comrade by the arms as he did so.

"I tried to intervene, but before I could, Grandfather showed up and zapped me back into my own body", she replied in a tone of obvious panic and concern, one which did not ease his own anxiety. Despite this however, the young Drill Sergeant refused to give up all hope. Feeling a singe of determination overtake him, the raven haired body collapsed to his knees as he wrapped his gloved hands around her uninfected hand, prepared to help her the only way he could.

"Rachel, I don't know if you can hear me, but if you can then you need to snap out of it! You've come this far without giving into one of Grandfather's tricks, and you can do it again", he replied in a determined tone. "You have to...because I don't want him to win just as much as you do..."

"That monster me...I don't know if he feels the same way about you that I do...or if you feel the same way that I feel about you...but even so, I wouldn't change anything about you...and I know that you wouldn't change for anyone else either...Because you're wonderful just the way you are...So please Rachel...Please don't disappear", he replied in a more mixed tone of sorrow and determination, uncertain if his words would reach her.

His wish became a miracle however, for it seemed as though the dazed Rachel could hear the voice of someone familiar to her, someone important to her. The words seemed fuzzy at first, but slowly, they came into perspective as she remembered what she really wanted right now, why she was even here to begin with; to free herself and the rest of humanity from the clutches of possible servitude. It was then that her eyes reverted back to their natural chocolate colour as she became fully awake once more, only to see that the Citizombie Patton was now close to brushing his wrinkled lips up against hers. Although disgusted by this, the young blonde quickly pulled up her staff and socked him hard in the stomach, causing him to collide hard with the ground. Upon regaining his composure, he merely sat there, staring in complete shock at what the girl had just done to him.

"But...but I don't understand...How could you have possibly...", he replied, his mere surprise to the situation clearly being too much for him to even finish his own sentence.

"It's like what I told you before; the only Patton that I care about is the real you", she replied in a stern tone, almost as if to say that he held no real power over her mind or heart.

And as she said her words, the old Drill Sergeant felt himself become completely overtaken by shock, his mind pondering over how she was able to break his spell as he dispersed into an eerie green mist. As her opponent faded into the dust, the young girl continued to stand there in stern composure, feeling mostly relieved, but also somewhat triumphant about her recent victory. Surprise however, seemed to overtake her though upon hearing a loud rumbling sound not too far from behind. She turned around just in time to witness a deeply enraged looking Grandfather rise up from the dead ground, his angered look being just enough to return the young blonde to her usual stern composure.

"You accursed child...I knew that bringing you over to my side would be no small task...But I figured that at some point, one of my persuasions would turn you willingly to my side...And yet though I persuaded you with the lowest trick I could possibly devise...you are still yourself when by now you should be mine to do with as I please! How can you possibly resist me for this long", the satanic demon asked in a booming voice, his temper very clearly teetering on a very destructive emotional level. Despite this however, Rachel never felt her bravery or anger subside as she continued to sternly stare at the old man she was determined to defeat.

"Simple; before I went to sleep, I read a few passages of the Book of KND, and fell asleep with it tightly wrapped in in my arms, knowing that it would give me a boost in the courage and strength I needed in order to defeat you", she replied in a loud, yet stern sounding tone.

"What! You used the Book", he replied in a rather angered tone of disbelief. "But how could you have possibly known about its immense power!"

"Because I remember all of the stories that Nigel told me that talked about the Book. I also remembered Fanny telling me something that her father heard you say; When kids read it, they discover the one thing more powerful than you", the young girl replied in a stern yet calm sounding tone, all the while allowing a small smirk to surface upon her beautiful face.

As she did though, it only caused the old man's temper to rise to the point of unleashing his wrath. Upon realizing that it wold do him no good to waste in energy in such a manner, he began to try and calm his anger, a look of slight annoyance now clear on his face as he continued to stare at his opponent and target.

"Very well...You have proven yourself be and enjoyable and formidable opponent, too much so to waste my temper on you...but even so, I grow impatient! If I cannot make you surcome to my power in a more sophisticated manner...I'm going to have to conform you by force", he replied in a booming voice, clearly voicing his subsided anger. Yet as he did so, Rachel did not budge an inch, she still looked as fierce and determined as ever, almost as if to say "You will not defeat me".

End chap.10


	11. Chapter 11

Hello everyone, and welcome to teh final showdown between Rachel and Grandfather. Before we begin however, let's go over some small notes involving this chapter.

1) I know it seems rather farfetched the idea of Grandfather having a sword, but I thought it would be an intersting little idea given his status as a man of high class. The sword also kind of gives him an edge, it proves that he has abilities and skills aside from his powers and obvious charm.

2) Once again, I have music playing during the battle sequence. This time, the song is "Duelist" from the Adolescence of Utena OST. To find this song, type in Adolescence of Utena OSt, a look up for track four.

Other than that, read, review, and enjoy!

The Demon Master's Puppet

Chapter 11: Hope from Within

Waiting; for some, it was an easy task. But for others, it was a daunting task, filled with anxiety and turmoil. On where one would almost be begging, pleading, needing to know what was currently going on. Such was the case now as the six members of Sector V sat with their acquaintance Patton in their dear Supreme Leader's office, watching and impatiently waiting for her to awaken from her deep slumber. It had been a long time that they had been waiting, and as much as none of them wanted to admit it, their patience was beginning to grow thin with concern and anxiety. Or at least not for Wally as he continued to pace the floor, allowing his annoyance to overtake him before he finally unleashed hit wrath.

"God, I can't take any more of this waitin' around", the short blonde screamed in annoyance. "We've been sittin' around here, waitin' for Numbuh 362 ta' wake up, while that stupid jerk is probably laughing it up! Boy wouldn't I like ta' get in there and kick his ass!

"You've been saying that for the past ten minutes", Hoagie reminded his friend in an annoyed tone. "We all want to help just as much as you do, but we can't get back in now that Grandfather's closed off her mind, and we have no 2x 4 technology that can transcend dream and reality."

"I know that Numbuh 2...but that doesn't mean I can't be Volvo about it", he replied in a tone of slight disappointment.

"Just relax Numbuh 4, I'm sure that Rachel is doing fine". Nigel replied in a calm and casual tone.

"But what if she's not", Kuki replied in a tone of genuine concern mixed with anxiety. " Grandfather's really scary and powerful, and if she fell for one of his tricks before, who's to say she won't fall for one again?"

"I know what you mean Kuki-chan...the way things seem to be playing out...it almost seems like the final conflict between Utena and Akio...", Alex replied in a stern, almost whispered tone. "Good god, I hope that doesn't mean she'll get impaled by-"

"Hey, don't spoil the ending, I haven't finished watching Utena yet", the plump pilot replied in a slightly whiny sounding tone.

"Well maybe if you had old me you blew through the first two box sets within a week, I probably would've lent the last one out to Muffy Jenkins", the mutant girl replied in a somewhat sassy tone as she defended herself.

"I only watched the series because you recommended it to me, I didn't count on getting hooked", he replied in a somewhat annoyed tone as he defended himself.

" I understand, but it's not my fault that I haven't gotten it back yet", she replied

"Anyway", the suave British leader replied in an annoyed tone, silencing the two friends as he did so as he returned to his stern yet calm state.. "I'm quite certain that if we wait for awhile longer, Rachel can solve this problem on her own without us intervening."

"I sure hope so", Abigail calmly yet quietly replied, her words catching the surprised guards of her five friends. " Numbuh 362 sure is a tough fighter, but Grandfather's a lot more skilled than she is...chances of her beatin' him are pretty slim...and he's already proven that he can have power over her...fo' all we know...she might even loose..."  
"She'll be fine", Patton replied in a low yet confident tone, one which caught the attention of his six acquaintances.

"What makes you so sure about that mate", the Australian blonde asked in a low tone.

"Because I know Rachel...She's the kind of person who never backs down from something she wants or believes in...even if her chances are slim...That's why I believe in her...That's why I have faith that she can find a way to beat Grandfather on her own...", the young Drill Sergeant replied in a low, yet confident sounding tone. Although surprised by this reaction, it was one that brought a smile to the braided beauty's face as she watched her comrade gaze over his sleeping friend, determination and faith clear in his eyes as he did.

...  
It seemed all too quiet now Rachel stood to face her old opponent, allowing the small wind that had settled in to rustle through her golden locks as she continued to watch her opponent diligently. It seemed as though he had calmed his nerves, given the the recognizable smirk which adorned his old face. But even with this in mind, the young blonde still felt an uneasy presence emitting from him, the kind where he could erupt with anger at any given moment. Despite her opponent's current state though, she stood tall and mighty, almost as if she were telling him that she was prepared to fight him.

"You are quite resistant my dear...But perhaps suppose I gave you once last chance for deliverance?...I promise it won't hurt", the satanic demon politely replied to his young opponent, a stern look still present on her face she continued to stare at his creepy smile, refusing to buy his words for even a second.

"Since you don't seem to get the message Grandfather, I'll make this clear to you; you'll get surrender only when you pry it from my cold, dead heart", the young girl replied in a stern yet angered tone, her words only furthering the old demon's obvious annoyance. Despite this however, he kept his temper at bay as he stood to face her once more.

"Very well then...It seems as though I have no choice with this one...I did not want have to resort to brute force with you", he calmly replied as he held out his hand to the young girl.

"That's a lie, isn't it", she asked in a somewhat confused tone, all the while keeping her stern composure.

"Consider it a loophole", the old man replied in a calm yet evil sounding tone as a small ball of fire, one which took the shape of a sword handle as he let it rest on his hand. Grabbing the handle made of fire, the satanic demon began to pull the handle upward as a long, fire blade began to emerge from his old hand. Once the tip of the blade emerged from his hand, the fire began to disperse as the sword revealed its true form; a pure black sword, garnished with rare rubies with a snake shaped handle. Now with his signature cocky grin plastered on his face, the satanic demon aimed said sword at his now stunned opponent.

"Sword play", Rachel replied in a mixed tone of shock and surprise.

"But of course. You see, at first I going to challenge you with merely my immense power. But since I get such a kick out of torturing you, I decided it would be more fun to humour you with a battle more adherent to your skill level", he replied in a somewhat arrogant tone, one which did nothing to hinder the young girl's stern composure.

"How sweet of you", she replied in a sarcastic tone.

"Why thank you my dear", he sarcastically replied. "But do not get too comfortable. After all, I was voted Britain's greatest fencer for several years running", the satanic demon replied in his usual arrogant tone.

"Were your colleagues allowed to vote, or did you just conform them to your standards", the young girl asked in a rather cold tone, one which angered the old man immensely.

"You know as surprising as this sounds, I don't rely on my powers for everything in my life", he replied in a genuinely angered tone. "Much like that accursed mutant child, I too have skills aside from mere power and charm. The sword you see before me is a prime example of this; it symbolizes my rank and skill as an expert swordsman and fencer, capable to decimating any object I choose with just the stroke of any blade of my choosing. I studied for years mastering my skill, and ultimately have earned my title without the use of my powers or manipulative techniques."

"I never said you didn't have any skill beyond your power. In fact, Patton has told me that you are quite the skilled swordsman, even to an amateur such as himself. But I digress", the young girl replied in a calm yet stern sounding tone as she twirled her staff to its punching glove angle, sternly holding as though it were a sword. As determined as she looked though, the yellow eyed demon could not help but unveil an evil sneer towards his young opponent.

" Very well my dear...But do not expect your victory; every rose must wither and wilt eventually, and whether you wish to accept it or not, the time of your wilting has come", the demonic man replied in a sinister tone, one which only furthered his young opponent's resistance and determination.

It was only then that the two found themselves locked in a moment of pure silence, the gentle breeze being the only sound present as the two opponents moved closer to one another, holding out their weapons of strike and choice as they did so. Upon allowing their weapons to meet, the two determined opponents prepared for their respective strikes as they lunged for each other, allowing their weapons to lock momentarily. After wrestling with that lock for awhile, the young blonde managed to break free from this lock as she began to clash her staff with her old opponent's sword, a few quick locks coming in to flesh out their match every now and then.

The battle of opposing metal continued for awhile, only to be stopped momentarily as Rachel proceeded to send a powerful round house kick to her opponents wrist. She missed her chance however as the satanic demon used his quick speed in order to back flip himself, dodging her attack all together. Twirling his majestic looking sword in his old hand for a second or two, he then proceeded to lung speedily towards his opponent, attempting to strike her forehead. Although surprised by this, the warrior like girl managed to dodge, only to find herself continuing to dodge as he continued to speedily move his blade to wherever her head moved.

"Incredible, you are quite an impressive swordsman", Rachel replied in a tone of awe, truly impressed by her opponent's skill and handy work.

"But of course: I did graduate at the top of my class after all. It is odd though, it has been a long while since I last fenced, and yet you seem even more rusty than I do", the old man replied in a sinister yet arrogant sounding tone, one which angered the young girl greatly.

"Oh really", she replied rather angrily as she ducked down from his next strike, a move which surprised Grandfather. Unbeknownst to him however, she had quickly lept up towards his chest and sent a firm kick to him, surprising him enough to back up and cough in surprise as she landed onto her graceful feet.

"What? But how did you-"

"I noticed during our first fight that tend to rely more on your hands first, then the rest your body second. Unfortunately, this leaves your body open for a wide attack most of the time", she replied in a calm yet calculating manner, one which surprised yet delighted her old opponent as his trademark smirk surfaced onto his face.

"Well...perhaps You've come more prepared than I've given credit for...But then again, I find your sorrow to be quite amusing", he arrogantly replied, angering his young opponent once more, though she refused to show it. But as he spoke his words, the two opponents immediately went back to duelling each other. Their weapons continuing to clash until until they found themselves in a fierce lock, staring each other down intently as they did so.

" I will admit though, this is quite a disappointment", the satanic demon replied, confusing the young blonde as he began to swing at her once more. "You are a being of high intelligence and skill, and yet you stay locked in your childish pursuits, never to know the true horrors of what you brats would consider a game."

"I know that this is no longer a game, otherwise I wouldn't be risking my life if I didn't believe", she sternly replied.

"Perhaps...but even if this is more than a game to you, you are still intent on mercilessly risking everything for your pathetic excuse of a race. Even if you were successful at wounding me, I can assure you that your victory will not come with ease", he replied in a stern yet oddly sinister sounding tone. " I am a being of immense power, capable of beating your entire planet into submission with the flick of my wrist. As proof, I have complete control over the dream sect of your mind. So regardless of how long you and I duel, your victory is slim to none at all."

"If Numbuh 0 could find a way to defeat you, so can I", the young girl replied in a stern and noble sounding tone.

"Perhaps...but do not forget; you are much different when compared to my dear son. And on the same token, I am a much more formidable opponent than that wretch I am forced to call my son and his pathetic attempts he refers to as evil", he replied in a stern yet annoyed tone as he slashed his opponents left shoulder open, causing her to yelp as she clutched her wound, wincing in pain as he stared at her rather sternly.

"As I have demonstrated, I am an opponent of far more competent skill and psyche than most of my fellow villains; If I wanted to, I could slice you in two and claim my victory, but I assume you are already aware of this. Your time is near, and regardless of what you do to prolong the inevitable, your foolish pursuits will not help you this time", he sinisterly replied as he continued to watch his young opponent wincing, amused by her obvious pain.

"Maybe...but you do have one thing right...I am nothing like your son", she replied in a stern yet pain stricken tone, one which greatly surprised her old foe. "I've always known that I can never be like Numbuh 0...and so, I won't even attempt it...I may not have the strength it takes in order to defeat you...But even if my victory is impossible, I'd rather try my best than do nothing at all", the young girl sternly replied as she held her staff up to her enemy in defence, a look of fierce determination eminent in her chocolate brown eyes as she did.

"Foolish child", the old man replied as he threw up his sword once more, amused by his opponent's relentless wit and naivety as he did so.

Tightly resting her staff in her two gloved hands, the young girl fiercely ran towards her smirking opponent, allowing their weapons to clash once more as they continued their duel, lashing more fiercely now as they allowed the intensity of their duel to increase. Their fierce swashbuckling however came to an abrupt halt as Grandfather grabbed his young opponent by the wrist, a move which surprised Rachel as she found herself being pulled into her enemy, but for what she was uncertain of. She got her answer however upon seeing his black fist coming towards her at demon speed, causing her to use her staff in defence as she lept away from her opponent.

Upon landing gracefully to her feet, the young girl looked up to notice that the satanic demon now had something else in store for her; his pyrokinetic eye beams. Acting fast, Rachel began to twirl her staff at an incredible speed, allowing the flame to impact with her trusty weapon as it protected her from the flames. Unfortunately though, her strategy proved only a temporary solution as the yellow eyed demon increased the power emitting from his eyes, concentrating said energy towards his young opponent. The young girl tried her best to defend herself, but the increase in power proved too strong for her to withstand as she felt herself become consumed by the playful yet painful strands of flame, screaming in agony as she collapsed to the dead ground wincing. But as she continued to feel herself consumed by pain, the demonic man could not help but release a hardy yet evil laugh towards his fallen opponent.

"Oh my dear, if that is your best, I would hate to see your worst", he replied in a mocking tone as he continued to laugh at her, completely unaware that she had been able to bring herself up only as far as her knees, despite the obvious pain she felt seeping through her body.

"As much as I hate to admit it, he is right; I'm going to need a different approach if I'm going to defeat him...But I've already used most of my techniques...what could I possibly use that he wouldn't expect", she calmly asked herself as she continued to analyze the situation, uncertain of what to do.

The answer came to her however as she looked down at her transformed hand, allowing realization to strike her. Grandfather had made it quite clear to her earlier; a Citizombie is far more agile in strength and integrity than a normal human. It was this small reminder that gave her an idea as she slowly worked her way back onto her feet, a task which only deepen the satanic demon's amusement.

" Well look at you, all straightened up and ready to fight. And to think, I actually believed you were determining the submitance to your surrender", he replied in a sarcastic, yet clearly arrogant tone. But as he did, the young blonde could do nothing more than reply with a small smile of confidence.

"Haven't you figured it out yet? I never back down from a fight until I complete the job, or at least until I am defeated", she replied in a tone of what seemed to be renewed confidence.

Having said her words, the young girl fiercely ran towards her opponent, only to clash with his blade once more as their fierce duel continued once more. It did not take long however for Grandfather to change the status quo however as he attempted strike his opponent's forehead with his blade. Expecting this, the young girl dodged her opponent's attack, surprising him in the process. It made him wonder what she was planning, though it did not give enough time to ponder as he felt himself being socked hard in the gut. The weapon in question was in fact Rachel's staff, which she then used as a flexible pole vault to fling herself in the air, prepared to make the finishing move. Curling her cursed hand into a tight fist of power, the young girl shot a fierce punch towards her opponent, socking him hard enough in the face to send him flying into the air. Colliding with the ground, the satanic demon finally felt his body cease to movement, continuing to wince at the slight pain he felt surging throughout multiples parts of his lanky body. Upon opening his demonic looking eyes, he came to find that Rachel stand atop of him; the Yield part of her staff held tightly against his throat while a stern yet authoritative look adorned her face, one which Grandfather could not help but smile evilly at.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go on and kill me", he replied in a sinister tone, one which did nothing to decimate Rachel's stern composure. "We are in a dream after all, so matter what you do to me here, it will have no effect on my real physical body...Besides, is this not what have wanted ever since I disturbed your peaceful slumber? Would it not be better to decimate me in the manner you desire to do so?..."

"I suppose it would...but even if I did, it wouldn't make me any better than you", she replied in a stern yet low sounding tone, one which only helped form a wide smirk onto the old man' face.  
" You truly are nothing more than a foolish child", the satanic demon replied in a polite tone, though it was clearly laced with his arrogance.

"Perhaps...but I prefer to live as I am than stoop to your level", the young girl replied in a more stern tone as she pulled up her Yield staff high above him, the punching glove resting just above his chest as it did. "Have a nice trip", she replied in a stern, almost sarcastic tone as she prepared to finish her job.

But before she could end their feud once and for all, the young blonde began to feel a deep yet painful surge overtake her body. It was a pain which caused her staff to drop from her hand as she collapsed to her knees, wincing in great pain as she did so. But as the pain continued to surge through her body, the young girl felt as though the pain was attempting to overtake her body. It was only then that she came to this realization; the curse was in active control as it began to make its way down her upper body, frightening her even more as she attempted to resist once more. But as she continued her act of resistance, the sight of her pain and anguish was one that pleased Grandfather immensely as he unveiled another creepy smile upon his face.

"Well, it seems as though your curse it finally beginning to take full affect like I had hoped it would", the satanic demon amusingly replied as he pulled himself up to float above his young opponent once more.

"What do you mean", Rachel asked as she continued to wince in pain, feeling the slimy green aura transforming her slender body once more.

"It is now the twelve hour mark, and you have much fear pent up inside of you, enough for the curse to now feed off of and complete your transformation", he sinisterly replied as he pointed the tip of his blade at his young opponent, delighted by the look of shock carved on her beautiful face.

"But how can that be possible! I defeated you fair and square", the young girl replied in a stern tone, a little bit of fright seeping in as she did so.

"True. But you have not technically banished me, and you fear of failure is still eminent...And soon enough, you will become my wilted little puppet", the yellow eyed demon replied in a sinister tone, one which only heightened Rachel's fear into full blown anxiety.

"No...no...NOOOOOOO", the young girl screamed as she continued to resist, despite the obvious pain it continued to cause her. At this point however, she did not care. All she truly did care about at this point, was her freedom. Unfortunately however, the effects the curse currently had on her body did not go unnoticed in the realm of reality. For the six members of Sector V and Patton could only stare in horror, watching as the body of their leader and friend continued to be consumed by this curse lain upon her.

"What's happening to her", Kuki asked, a tone of high fright clear in her voice as she showed her concern for her friend through her tone.

"Grandfather must've gotten ta' her", Abigail replied in a tone of surprise.

"Well however it happened, we got to do something quick", Alex replied in a tone of obvious panic.

"Well why don't you just use your powers? You got the ability to combat his powers", Wally suggested, only to receive an angered look from his already panicky friend.

"I'm immune to his Reality Warping powers Wallabee-kun, I'm not an antidote; there's a big difference", the mutant brunette replied in a tone of mixed anger and panic.

"Regardless, we need to find something that can help her", Nigel sternly replied, trying his best to keep his panic at bay.

"But what can we do Numbuh 1", Hoagie asked in a tone of mixed concern and disbelief, one which caused the rest of his friends to look at their leader in deep concern. As much as he hated to show it however, even he was not certain of what they could do to help their friend.

"I don't know", the British bald boy angrily replied, uncertain of what they could do. Yet as he pondered this question, all Patton could do at this moment was sit right by the side of his beloved leader and friend. Despite the anxiety that lie in his brave heart, the young boy knew that all he could do at this point in time was to rest his gloved hand on her soft hand and rest his head on her body.

"Come on Rachel...You can do it...I know you can, he whispered to himself, trying hard not to loose his faith in her as he continued to pray for her safety.

...  
Elsewhere across another plane of existence, the young blonde continued her battle as she lay on the ground wincing, trying her hardest to fight off the transformation that continued to consume her body. By this point, the curse had succeeded in consuming most of her upper body, and was beginning to work its way up her left arm. Her will however continued to hold out as she continued to fight, determined to keep herself as she was, much to the amusement of her old foe.

"Your resistance is impressive, but pointless", he sinisterly replied as he continued to watch her suffer, allowing for his sword to dematerialize and be absorbed back into his body as he did so. "Within minutes the person you are will cease to exist, and you will finally become mine to own."

"NEVER", she screamed at him as she continued to wince in pain, her words angering her old foe once more.

"Do not say such foolish things child. Resistance is futile now; regardless of what you do to delay the inevitable, your fate has already been sealed", the satanic demon sinisterly replied, all the while smiling evilly at his young opponent.

"What if I said that I refuse to believe that statement", the young girl replied in a rather stern tone.

"Then allow me to make this perfectly clear for you; you're going to be a Citizombie and like it", he replied in a stern yet almost angered tone as he raised his hand towards the young girl, sending a burst of fire her way. Upon colliding with the girl, it sent her flying hard into the ground, crashing like a meteorite would on impact.

Upon opening her chocolate brown eyes, the young blonde felt fright overtake her once more as she saw Grandfather making his way towards her, coming at demon speed while an evil smirk adorned his old face. Upon seeing this sight, she rose to her knees as she tried to resist once more, knowing that she didn't have much time left.

"Why...Why am I still resisting?...I've already lost, and Grandfather's proven that to me...and yet I...I continue to fight...but why though...", she asked herself in a tone of melancholy, feeling as though there was no hope left.

But as she thought of the word hope, all she could think about was the friends she had let down, all the people she had let down, including herself. It felt as though all was hopeless now as she watched her foe come towards her at demon speed, truly feeling as though her existence meant nothing now. Her passions, her beliefs, her friends, her loved ones, it all meant nothing now. And yet, she didn't want to trade any of it for conformity, none of it at all. As she flashed through her memories however, she finally came across her answer; a quote she had remembered from the Book of KND, written by Numbuh 0 himself. In it, the quote states how people make their own fates according to their will, and not the will of another, a message which brought tears of joy to the young blonde's eyes as she recalled this simple yet meaningful sentence.

"Of course...I kept fighting because of what matters to me, of what I want to return to when this whole incident is over...Because it's what I chose to do...of my own free will...", she thought to herself in a tone of mixed joy and melancholy, feeling tears of joy run down her face as she felt a wave of relief rush over her body.

As these thoughts ran through her though, the young girl could feel her opponent wrap his old hand tightly around her neck, completing the transformation within a blinding flash of light. A dark, foreboding silence had encased the area now as the flash began to decease, signifying the defeat of the brave yet naive little girl. It was a definite sign of triumph for the satanic demon as he became overwhelmed by evil delight, delighted by his triumphant victory. Now with a devilishly evil smile upon his face, he looked up to face his new minion, only to become surprised and shocked by what he saw in front of him; Rachel stood before him, a stern look upon her face as she continued to face him as her true self.

"What", he screamed as he released her neck, backing away from the little girl as he did so. "But...But that is not possible! How could have possibly-"

"Because I am not like you", she replied in a stern yet cold sounding tone. True, parts of her body remained frozen in the wake of her transformation. But all honesty, she could care less about her body at this point as she began to walk towards her stunned opponent.

"Now, let me make something clear to you "Master"; I am not your puppet", she sternly replied. As she spoke her words though, a small crack could was now visible in the sky, something the old man took a stunned note of. "I am not your slave, I am not your object, or your possession", she replied, her stern words continuing to make the sky and ground crack, much to the old man's disbelief.

"You are wrong to think that you can conform people to your standards, just so you can acquire your selfish desires. And you are wrong to think that brainwashing me will make me believe the same ideologies as you do", she sternly replied as cracks continued to appear all across her desolate dreamland.

"You are wrong to think that you can change me, because I know who I am; my friends, my loved ones, my passions and beliefs, my reasons for fighting adult tyranny, they are the same for both Numbuh 362, and Rachel McKenzie", she replied as her stern tone heightened in pitch, further sending the old man into shock as the desolate dream world continued to crack around them.

"All people have the right to choose; to choose their own lives, their own beliefs, their own virtues and poisons, and also their own values. And they choose it because of their own free will", the young girl sternly replied as she came to a halt. "Therefore, you have no control, you have no manipulation, and most importantly-"

"No...No, don't say it", Grandfather replied in a panicked tone, now certain of what her final words would be.

"You have no power over me", she yelled at him, finally managing to break the strings of his control. She was now free, as indicated by her body slowly returning to its original form.

Upon hearing these few words, the satanic demon unleashed a wailing scream as he clutched his head with hands, beginning to feel himself literally cracking up as well. And with one swift pitch, both Grandfather the desolate dreamland began to slowly break into tiny pieces, almost as if small shards of glass were falling from the sky. And as the shards slowly descended to the ground and faded into dust, it revealed to Rachel her true identity of her dream realm; a beautiful filed of lush flower varieties, complete with a deep blue sky and fluffy clouds. It was her ideal of perfect relaxation, her true ideal of tranquillity. Unfortunately though, the battle's end had taken much out of her, and her heavy breathing proved it. Feeling fatigue overtake her, the young blonde allowed herself to collapse into the lush flower field, feeling satisfied by her victory as she felt her eyelids slowly drop shut.

Nearly moments later however, Rachel awoke to find herself back in her office, her hand now in a normal condition, and the Book of KND still tightly wrapped in her slender arms. Breathing a sigh of relief, the young blonde went to get up, only to find a special surprise awaited her as she slowly rose herself up to sit on her office bed; the six friends of Sector V and Patton were all sitting at her bedside, smiles plastered on their faces as Rachel could only stare at them in wonderment.

"Hello Rachel", Nigel calmly said.

"Hey Numbuh 362", Hoagie said enthusiastically.

"Hi Rachel", Kuki replied in a perky tone.

"Hey mate", Wally calmly replied.

"Yo Boss' Abigail coolly replied.

"Nihow Rachel-san", Alex said in a chipper tone.

"Sector V...Patton...you've been waiting for me this whole ti-", she began in a soft tone of surprise, only to be cut off by a tight, warm hug from a distressed looking Patton.

"Welcome back Rachel...", the young boy whispered in relief as he continued to hug her tightly, never wanting to let go. Although taken aback by this gesture, the young girl felt herself give in as she hugged him back, happy to see him most of all. Both however, were completely unaware of the six Sector V members watching their hug, smiles clear on five of their faces( save for Wally who was fake gagging) as they continued to witness this small moment between their two friends.

"Thank you my dear friends...thank you...", Rachel softly thought to herself as her she continued to embrace Patton's hug. Be it ever so humble, she was glad to be home, here with her friends and loved one.

End chap.11


	12. Chapter 12

Hello everyone, and welcome to the final chapter for this story. I apologize for not uploading this sooner, but I've been rather busy with school and haven't had much time to upload. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy the grand finale!

The Demon Master's Puppet

Chapter 12: Celebratory Victory

The silence of the Global Command hallways; they usually seemed foreboding, almost uninviting due their creepy, cold atmosphere, even at eight o'clock at night. And yet oddly enough though, this atmosphere seemed comforting to the young blonde known as Rachel as she continued to walk the hallways of her Moon Base, sighing at the thought. Being in such a desolate, dreary place for nearly three hours would make anyone feel comfortable in a creepy yet cold environment, something she knew she would eventually get over within the week. Putting that aside however, the young blonde felt a small smile overcome her face as she opened the door to a small lounge room, one occupied by herself and her friends as Kuki danced her feet away with an unhappy looking Wally, while the rest of their Sector and Patton watched in delight with their sodas in hand (or treats in hand as the case may be with Hoagie and Alex).

" So, I take it you guys are having a good time", Rachel softly asked as she entered the room, alerting the rest of the group to her presence.

"Well of course we are; I love this song", Kuki happily replied.

"Well I don't", Wally replied in a blunt tone, one that went unheard as the little Asian girl continued to waltz them around the floor.

"Yeah, and these cookies are out of this world", Hoagie replied with great glee as he continued to munch down on Abigail's speciality homemade cookies.

"Totally", Alex gleefully agreed as she continued to munch the cookies down with him, only for them to be stopped by the black girl herself as she slapped them with her red hat simultaneously.

"What did I tell you two about eatin' those cookies", she asked in a harsh, motherly like tone, all the while sternly crossing her arms.

"You made them especially for Rachel, therefore we must share them", the two friends replied in unison, a tone of guilt running through their voices as they did so, and one which brought a small smirk to their friend's face.

"That's better", the spunky black girl replied as she placed her hat back on her head, the small sight causing their leader and friend to quietly giggle.

"Thank you Abigail", the young girl replied as she finished her giggle, walking over towards the dessert table and grabbing one of said cookies as she did so.

"Sure thang' Sir", the braided beauty replied as she watched her friend walk over towards the now angered looking Patton, now standing next to him as a smile continued to graze her beautiful face.

"You seem much happier", Nigel replied in a calm, yet observant tone.

" Well of course I am Nigel; for the first time in what feels much longer, I feel at peace with myself again", she explained in a soft, almost gentle sounding tone.

"Hehe, funny you say that, considering how chaotic your job is", the mutant brunette replied in a slightly cocky tone.

"True, but at least I can get by without the need for a snarky retort every five minutes", the young girl sarcastically replied as she took a bite of her cookie, her remark causing her friend's face to turn pale.

"Su-Su-Su-Sumimase! I didn't mean it like that, what I meant was-", the curly haired girl replied in a panicked tone, all the while using one of the Japanese words for "I'm sorry".

"It's alright. I know you didn't mean it in malicious intent", the blonde girl replied, her words bringing instant relief to her curly haired friend.

"Yokata", the mutant girl replied in a relieved tone, all the while using the Japanese phrase for "That's good/What a relief".

"So, tell us about the fight. It must have been pretty tough to defeat him, what with that curse attaching itself to your fear", the plump pilot replied with excited and anticipated glee. His comment bringing Kuki's forced dancing to a halt as she and Wally walked over towards the group, they too in anticipation of this story.

"Well, it was a difficult battle at first, especially with the kind of villain Grandfather is. Although surprisingly, my victory was quite easy, one I realized how I could defeat his power over me", the young girl explained to her friends, taking another bite of her cookie as she did so.

"What do you mean", the British bald boy asked in a somewhat confused manner.

"Well you see, the truth is that I was only pretending to be brave for most of the time", she admitted, confusing her top sector even more in the process. "Don't get me wrong, I did feel brave, it's just that I still felt very fearful; fearful of Grandfather winning, fearful of becoming a Citizombie, and ultimately fearful of losing myself and everyone I loved in the process. Even during my conflict with him, I still felt fearful."

"But that's when I remembered a quote from the Book of KND that your father wrote Nigel; it said that people will always create their own fate or future through they choice of their own will, and not the will of another",the young girl calmly replied, all the while leaving her fellow bald cohort in silence upon hearing this little story. "Once I figured that out, it was only a matter of a few good word choices to defeat him."

"So in other words, all you had to do was believe in yourself and that gave you the strength to defeat him", Patton asked in an almost emotionless tone as he sipped his RootBeer, his tone causing the young girl to stared in a worried fashion towards him.

"Essentially. I know it sounds odd that I had forgotten those words and yet fighting for our freedom, but I suppose I had almost lost hope that point until I understood something; whether one is good or evil, no one has complete control over another person, something that Grandfather could never understand", the young girl explained to her group of friends, causing them to agree in unison with her as a moment of silence came upon them, one which was only ceased upon Alex opening her mouth to speak.

"Wait a minute; so in order to defeat Grandfather, you had to figure out the exact same thing that Jennifer Connolly had to figure out in Labyrinth", the mutant brunette asked.

"Yes", the young blonde calmly replied.

"Dammit! Why didn't we think of that", she asked in an exasperated tone.

"I don't know", Kuki replied rather non-nonchalantly.

"Wait a minute; what about us", the short Australian asked.  
"Yeah, we were practically on our knees praying for you, and you never even thought about us", the plump pilot replied in a somewhat angered tone, a rare emotion for Hoagie to emit.

"Well how could she, she had no idea we were in her office the whole time", the spunky African-American replied in the young blonde's defence, her words causing the two boys to cringe in embarrassment at their own stupidity.

"Well whether I was aware of your presence or not, I am glad to know that you guys were rooting your me, and I'd like to thank you for that", Rachel replied in a calm yet very honest tone, a wide smile beginning to run across her beautiful face as she stared at her beloved friends, who in return smiled at her.

" Ah, don't worry about it Rachel", the young British boy replied in a rather smooth tone, one only angered the young Drill sergeant off in the far corner.

"Yeah, we're your friends after all", the little Asian girl happily chirped. "Although it was kind of scary for awhile...but at least we each other to hold onto."

"Yeah well, I know I wouldn't have done that", Wally replied in a tone of subtle denial.

"But you let me jump right into your arms and held me tight. Besides, you looked so cute with your little scardy cat face", the little Asian girl replied as began to playfully tease her short friend, only for him to blush tomato red at both of her comments.

" I did not", the young Australian angrily replied as he continued to banter with her for a little while longer, a sight which could not help but bring their friends laughter. The laughter however, silenced itself upon Alex beginning to see Hoagie ponder.

"Doshtano, Hoagie-kun", the mutant brunette asked her plump friend, all the while muttering the Japanese phrase for "What's wrong?"

"I don't know", he replied. "I just feel like we forgot something.

Upon those words being spoken, the door to the lounge room slammed open to reveal an enraged Fanny, helmet and all. She looked as though she would be able to kill the next poor sap she layed her emerald green eyes on, a thought which caused the six members of Sector V to cringe in fear simultaneously. They now knew what they had forgotten, and now they would pay the banshee's price.

"You ingrates", she yelled in her loud, yet still scratchy sounding voice as she furiously walked over towards the fearful looking sector. "I'd always known you were morons, but I never imagined your stupidity could reach this low! This even tops the time you idiots forgot te' pick up that pizza-"

"Aren't you forgetting something Fanny", asked a familiar, almost angelic sounding tone, one which only angered the Irish redhead even more so.

"Mind yer' own busine-", she began in her shrill tone as she turned around, only to stop herself upon realizing who this person was; a stern looking Rachel. "R...Rachel...", the shrill girl said as her emerald eyes widened and her voice became less fierce.

"Rachel! Oh, I'm so glad te' see ye' lass", the Irish girl replied with repressed glee as she walked over to her friend and smiled very sweetly at her friend, an expression which somewhat surprised the young blonde, for Fanny never acted this friendly affection with her in public.

"So I see", the young girl replied as felt her discomfort slipping away, allowing her to smile gently at her dear yet temperamental friend. "Well, it's not like I can't say the same; I'm happy to see you too Fanny. How have you been feeling?"  
"Eh, I'm feelin' a bit better, though I'm probably goin' te' need a few more days off work at least...Hey, wait a minute! This is about you! How come ye' didn't tell me that ye; had a problem like this", she asked in a now slightly angered tone, her tone causing guilt to rise upon her friend's face.

"I'm sorry Fanny; I wanted to tell you, but I was afraid of what might happen if I involved anyone", Rachel replied in a guilt stricken tone.

"Oh, but I guess tellin' "Freezer Boy" is okay", the Irish redhead sternly replied as she shot her cohort a death glare, only for him to return the glare in reply.

"That's only because he became suspicious after I called him", the blonde girl replied in response in her normal tone. "Anyways, I apologize for at least not telling you about my problem, and I'd also like to say thank you for watching Global Command in my absence", she replied in a very sincere tone.

"Ah, don't mention it lass. I'm used to ye' actin' like a selfless dolt, so I can put up with it once in awhile", Fanny casually replied as she sent a small wink towards her friend, one which caused Rachel to smile with great delight.

"And as for you imbasals! What gives ye' the right te' phone me for a favour, and then not invite me to yer' party", the Irish redhead asked as her tone returned to harsh, walking over towards the now less fearful Sector V.

"Sorry about that Numbuh 86; we meant to call you, but we got so wrapped up in having Rachel back that we sort of forgot about you", the plump geek replied in a tone of slight embarrassment.

"Oh, and so that makes your combined stupidity valid", she asked in a rather angered tone.

"Like hell it does", the short Australian replied in a tone of clear annoyance, one which only brought face palms to his Sector mates due to the stupidity of his words. "Besides, you didn't even do anything, so why should we invite you?"

"Because you dolts personally asked me ta' watch Global Command! You call that not doin' anythin'", she asked in a fierce tone, far angrier than she had been before.

"Geez, cool your jets Asuka, it's not like we went out of our way to forget about you", Alex replied rather non-nonchalantly.

"And stop referring te' me by character names, especially when I have no idea what yer' talkin' about", she angrily replied.

"Well maybe if you'd do your research like I keep telling you to", the mutant brunette replied back in a sassy tone.

It was this line of her however that caused a heated conversation of squabbling to form not just between the two obvious friends, but also the rest of her Sector. As this squabbling continued, Rachel could not help but watch this sight from where she stood. Yes, it was a sight that could not help but make her roll her eyes and sigh in slight annoyance, but it was also a sight that could not help but bring a small smile to her face as she watched her friends continuing to squabble. And yet the moment felt somewhat incomplete as she turned around to find that Patton was no longer in the small room. It was an act that not only concerned her, but also made her suspicious as she quietly made her way out of the room to go look for her friend, suspicion beginning to form on her beautiful face as she began to ponder just where he could be.

...  
The silent, dimly lit structure of this tiny Global Command passage way seemed almost a bit spooky at this time of night. And yet somehow the atmosphere seemed almost comforting for the mood that Patton was in as he continued to gulp down his RootBeer, continuing to ponder his mind as the events of the past few days continued to loop themselves in his head, angering him even more than he had been before.

"Hey", said a familiar angelic voice, startling him out of his angered state to find that Rachel herself was basking him with her presence.

"Oh Rachel, it's just you", the young boy replied in a somewhat blunt tone as he pressed himself up against the wall once more, one which brought mild frustration and annoyance to the mature young girl.

"I suppose", she replied in a somewhat blunt tone of annoyance as she pressed herself up against the wall as well, her face softening up as she did so. "Although it is ironic; usually, your the one startling me."

"Yeah well, you're a lot easier to startle than most people", he replied in a blunt tone as he took another sip of his RootBeer.

"I know...", she softly replied as a moment of silence occurred between them, one which she inevitably broke nearly seconds later. "So...I'm assuming that there's something you wanted to discuss with me?..."

"Perhaps...what gives you that impression", the young Drill Sergeant bluntly asked, knowing full well that her assumption was spot on.

"Well, you weren't exactly at your most sociable tonight. You even walked out on the party without consulting anyone", the young girl replied in a rather calm yet observant tone.

"So? They're your friends, not mine", he bluntly replied as he took another sip of his RootBeer.

"I understand that, but even when you're surrounded by people who you really aren't friends with, your more sociable side tends to come out. Not only that, but you seemed to be acting very distant, almost stand offish from me since I woke up earlier", the young girl calmly observed, only to not hear a reply from her dear friend this time. "Therefore, I can only assume that there's something I've done to upset you...or-"

"Why did you go in there without telling me", he asked her in suppressed rage, his answer now catching her attention.

"What", she asked in a somewhat confused tone, even though she knew what he was referring to.

"I'm asking you why you went into your mind alone without consulting me first", he asked her, no longer attempting to hide his obvious anger. Now able to see the pain that was clear in his eyes, the young girl let out a small sigh as she opened her mouth to speak.

"Look, I understand that you would've like to have been informed, but I was still quite scared by my dream from earlier, but once I realized how I could possibly defeat him, I decided that it was best not to tell anyone of my whereabouts", she replied as calmly as she could, knowing that her answer would not subside her friend's anger.

"So that just gives you an excuse to just leave without consulting me", he angrily asked.

"Patton, I was scared out my mind; I had no idea how much time I had left", the young blonde replied as the tone of her voice began to rise.

"Obviously enough if you could go get the Book and do a training montage in under half an hour", the young boy angrily pointed out to her.

"Yes, but how was I suppose to know that at the time? For all I knew, that curse could have absorbed enough of my fear that it could have overtaken me at any moment", the young girl replied as her tone began to reach anger.

"But it didn't; you had enough time where you could have contacted me", he angrily replied.

"And why would I do that; so that you could convince me into letting you in with me! Well I'm sorry Patton, but I am above risking someone else's life and freedom, even when my life is on the line", the young girl angrily replied, alerting Patton to both her anger, and her assumption; she was right on the money once again, though he hated to admit it.

"I was only offering to help", he angrily spat out.

" And just why would that be! So that you could be the hypocritical hero", she angrily asked him. It was a question which not only made the young Drill Sergeant cringe in realization, but also build up with anger as he grabbed her by the arm.

"You know that's not the reason", Patton angrily replied, knowing full well that she would not buy it.

"Oh, and I suppose-"

"Listen", he angrily replied, silencing her in the process. "I know I sound like a hypocrite when I say that...but I only feel that way because...I wanted to protect you", he replied in a much softer tone, one which caused the young blonde's face to soften, but only slightly so as she continued to keep her stern composure.

"I can't believe I'm admitting this but...I was scared for your safety...So much so that I almost went in after you...but I only stopped myself once I remembered the promise I made to you...so I had to trust that you'd be okay", the raven haired boy replied in a much softer, more sincere tone. It was not however, enough to break the young girl's stern composure.

"Yes...but it was only our promise that stopped you", she sternly replied, a phrase which seemed to bring guilt washing over him. Nevertheless, he decided to continue on.

"I know, but whether I'm gunho to keep you out of trouble or not, the fact is that I...I do trust you Rachel...and I do believe in you...", he replied in a genuinely sincere tone, one which surprised the young girl as she saw that look of genuine sincerity in his eyes.

"I know it doesn't seem that way, but I like that you're so strong and confident; that you stand up for what you believe in and never back down from anything. It's just that when it comes to a really strong opponent like Grandfather I...I can't help but want to protect you...especially when you start acting so selfless...", he sincerely replied as his words continued to soften the look on his beloved friend's beautiful face.

"Really", she asked in a now soft tone, clearly implying that she was beginning to be touched by his words.

"Of course, I don't see Grandfather would want to change someone like you; someone so smart, and strong, and pleasant to be with...Someone so passionate and kind, so stern and assertive, so brave and relentless, so fragile and beautiful...I don't see how he could ever want to change any of that about you...", the young boy replied in a sincere, honest tone.

But while his honesty was truth, it only helped reinforce what the young girl was somewhat uncertain of; that Patton may in fact have feeling for her beyond mere friendship. Despite feeling that she should avoid such a revelation though, her curiosity overtook her for one fleeting second as she opened her mouth to speak once more.

"Patton...are you saying that you...like me... as more than a friend...", she asked him rather innocently, a question which only prompted her friend's cheeks to blush deep, rosy red.

"Wha-What would give you that impression", he asked in an embarrassed tone as he continued to try and cover his reaction, knowing full well that she wasn't buying it. "I mean-"

"Patton", the young girl replied in a stern, almost no-nonsense tone.

"Alright fine, I love you, is that so wrong", he asked her, all the while shocked to find that he confessed his obvious affection so easily. As he said those words however, Rachel could not help but feel shock over come her system. It was a weird feeling she felt, one of pure happiness to know how he felt, but also one of deep regret over how she would have to respond as she opened her mouth to speak once more.

"So you Citizombie self was right", the young girl softly replied, a touch of shock clearly in her voice as she spoke.

"What do you mean", the young Drill Sergeant asked in a soft yet curious tone.

"Well...I ran into your Citizombie self as you know. He kept trying to persuade me into being his, and as I kept resisting, he told me that he loved me...At first, I felt shocked and uncertain of how to respond despite my resistance, but I became suspicious of how he acted around and spoke to me" she explained.

"It took me awhile, but I managed to finally realize that his true love was in fact my Citizombie self...In realizing this, I began to understand that the Citizombies are separate entities from the people they are born from. To make a long story short though, if your Citizombie self's true love was my Citizombie self, than I can only assume that your true love is...", she softly explained until she cut herself off, the the deep red blush on his cheeks making her hypothesis even more clear to her now.

"Do you...feel the same way that I do", the young boy asked in a soft spoken tone, one which not only caused to the young blonde to look directly at him in surprise, but also blush a deep red simultaneously.

"Well...I...uh...I...You see, I...", the young girl tried to explain as best she could. But the raven haired boy could not help but smirk sweetly at her as the blush gave it all away.

"I should have known", he replied in an almost teasing like tone.

"Well, you never should have been able to find out, considering how well I'd hidden my feelings for you up until now", she replied in a stern yet oddly soft sounding tone.

"Well, you are a good actress, so I'd say you did your job well", he sweetly complimented, causing her to smile sweetly towards him as a small moment of silence occurred between the two of them. One however, which was only broken once Patton opened his mouth to speak once more.

"Now I was thinking; since we both now know how we feel about each other...what do you say we make it official...", Patton asked in a rather romantic tone as he gently took a hold of her soft hand. Despite the blush which stained her cheeks, the young girl's eyes shawn of deep regret; regret over how she would have to answer to him.

"Oh, Patton...that's very sweet of you, but...I'm just not sure if this would be the right move for us", Rachel replied in her usual stern yet soft manner, her answer bringing nothing but a sigh of annoyance to her dearly beloved's lips.

"This is because of your sticklerness, isn't it", he asked in a somewhat annoyed tone, one which slightly annoyed her in return.

"Of course it is. But there's also the issue of your safety; I don't want you getting hurt because of me", she replied in a genuinely stern tone.

"I can understand your concern there, but you need to remember that I've gotten into into bigger messes than this before and I've come out okay", he replied in a rather stern tone.

"That's only because you were reckless and lucky in those situations", she sternly replied.

"Oh great, the return of the Ice Cream metaphor", he replied in an annoyed yet clearly sarcastic tone.

"Laugh at it all you want, but there is some truth to it; luck can't last forever", she sternly replied.

"Neither can temptation", he replied in a low yet stern tone. And yet despite how much she didn't want to admit, the young blonde realized that her beloved friend was right; not even she was immune to temptation, a realization that could do nothing more than bring a sad expression to her beautiful face as she continued to stare at him.

"I understand that Patton...but as the Kids Next Door's Supreme Leader, I can never give into mine, no matter how much I want it", she replied in a rather melancholy tone, the look of sorrow clear in her beautiful eyes as she did so.

"I know, but sooner or later your desire is going to cause you pain...pain I don't want to see you go through", the young boy replied as he continued to stare at his beloved with deep concern. It was the kind of concern that could only melt Rachel's heart, an indicator to her that she could not resist him for much longer.

"I'm sorry Patton, but I-"

"Look Rachel, if you had different feelings than I did, I would accept them and continue being your friend and fellow operative...But I know that this is something you want, and I'm not going to let you push it away", the young boy replied in a tone of clear determination. Despite being impressed by this trait of his, the young girl could not help but feel her sense of reality calling to her as she continued to resist.

"I'm sorry, but I have no choice but to give up what we could have", she replied in as stern a tone as she could, knowing that she could break down at any given minute now.

"You don't have to give it up if it's something you need", he sternly replied.

"Oh really? Well if you think it's so easy, then tell me; what you have me do", she asked him in a rather stern, yet obviously angered and sorrow filled tone. But despite her obvious anger, the young did nothing, all he did was stand there, staring at her rather calmly.

"If I were in your position...I'd ask you to look at the situation as both a leader, and as yourself", he replied. "That way, you'll know your heart thinks, but also what your mind thinks you should do. You can do that, can't you?"

"Very well then", Rachel replied in a low, somewhat frustrated tone as he continued to smirk at her, staring annoyingly back at him as she closed her eyes and began to silently listen. AS she did, the many voices of her heart and mind opened the gates of possible outcomes for this situation to her. And while she knew that siding with the voices of her mind were the best possible answer, she could not help but listen to what her heart had to say; to go with what she desired most.

"Well..."

"I'm not sure...my mind says that I should stick to my responsibilities, especially given my status as a leader", the young girl softly replied.

"But what does your heart say", Patton asked, all the while continuing to smile sweetly at her.

"It says that I should give into my desires...even though I know it would be wrong...", she softly replied.

"Alright...so now that you know that, what answer do you want to go with", he asked her rather softly as a moment of silence came upon them, one which was only broken upon Rachel looking up to face him once more, smiling sweetly as she did.

" I can't believe I'm saying this, but...I've decided to go with what my heart says and give our romance a try...just so as long as we can keep it a secret", she young girl replied as she felt herself overcome by a subtle, but natural happiness, one which warmed the young Drill Sergeant's heart and made him smile.

"Hey, I'm cool with that...just as long as you're satisfied", Patton replied as he let a small smirk emerge on his face.

"I know", she replied in a soft tone as they stared lovingly at one another in silence, a silence that only broke upon Patton opening his mouth to speak once more.

"So, seeing as how you're the unsung hero of the day, I think it's only fair that you get a present to match your victory", the young boy replied in a flirtatious tone, one which the young blonde could not help but smile at.

"Personally, I think that knowing I salvaged not just my freedom, but the freedom of all humanity is a worthy present for me. Although...there is one thing I'd like to try...", Rachel replied in a calm yet slightly devious tone.

"Oh, and what did you have in-"

But before the young boy could utter another word, the young girl gently caressed his cheek as she lay a gentle yet passionate kiss upon his lips. Although taken aback by this sudden move of hers, he could not help but give into his desires as he returned the kiss, wrapping his strong arms around her slender waist while she rested her soft hands on his warm chest. It was the perfect first kiss for both sides; one that not only brought them pure eternal bliss, but also made them feel as one as their private moment continued, showcasing to them both the deep, but true love both felt for each other. Unfortunately however, it was a moment that was sadly interrupted by approaching footsteps. Upon hearing said footsteps, the two young lovers quickly backed away from each other, trying their best to look calm and natural as the familiar silhouette peaked around the corner; it was none other than a smiling Kuki.

"Yay! I found you guys", the little Asian girl happily chirped as both Alex and Hoagie appeared from behind her.

"Oh, so this where you guys were hiding. You were gone for so long, we all thought you'd gone out for a make out session", the mutant brunette replied in a teasing fashion, one which made Kuki giggle with flirtatious glee.

"Don't be ridiculous", the two friends turned secret lovers replied in stern unison.

"Now that we've gotten that out of the way, what brings you three looking for us", the young girl asked in a stern but genuinely polite tone.

"Oh, not much. Unless you're interested in playing Metal Gear Solid with us", the plump geek replied in enthusiastic glee.

"Really? That's awesome! I love Metal Gear Solid", Patton replied in a tone of great enthusiasm, one which surprised the young blonde as she looked at him in slight confusion.

"That's odd; as I recall, you told that you weren't very fond of video games", the young blonde replied in a observant, yet slightly flirtatious tone.

"I'm not; this one just happens to have a story I can get behind", the young Drill Sergeant flirtatiously replied back.

"Well then what are you two waiting for, I can still here the banshee and the short one going at it even from here", the mutant girl replied in a slightly sassy yet clearly annoyed tone.

"Well then we should probably get going ourselves; I don't want to have to be Naomi again", Hoagie replied in a slightly panicked tone upon hearing that phrase.

Upon doing so, the three friends began to take their walk towards the lounge room they occupied for the night, leaving the two lovers alone once more. The hallways echoed of the plump pilot chatting about being Solid Snake this time with his mutant friend, but soon dispersed as the hallways echoed of silence once more. It was a moment in which the young girl quietly turned to smile sweetly at her beloved friend turned lover once more, him doing the same as her.

"We should probably get going too...if you still want to play that game that is", Rachel replied in a soft tone as she continued to smile at her beloved.

"Well then what are we waiting for", Patton asked in a teasish, almost flirtatious tone as he took her soft hand into his gloved one, beginning to lead her back towards the lounge. Although surprised by by his sudden gesture, the young blonde did not mind one one bit as they continued their walk, happy to have finally put the events of the last few days behind her.

Since the existence of the conscious mind, puppetry has been one of its greatest tools. Through its existence, it has been used as a tool of manipulation, a horrid device with which to bind people by metaphoric strings, unknowingly giving permission to manipulate their mind's thought actions while they blindly conform to another's standards. It is not to be said though that the threads of manipulation however cannot be cut, so as long as the puppet begins to breed its own will. So some, it may seem too simple a metaphor. But none the less, it is a metaphor that helped this powerful yet kind girl overcome her fears of self loss to protect what she held dear. Both for the sake of humanity, and for her own well being.

The End


End file.
